Fugitive emissions sector greenhouse gas emissions
Key Finding
In 2018, emissions from the fugitive emissions sector contributed 19.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e), or 11% of Queensland’s total emissions. Emissions increased by 93% between 2005 and 2018 owing to growing coal mining and natural gas production.
Fugitive emissions are the emissions that are lost to the atmosphere during coal and gas mining activities.
Emissions were 19.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) in 2018. This represents 11% of Queensland’s total emissions and the long-term trend is increasing emissions.
- This compares with 3.2 MtCO2e in 1990.
- In 2005, emissions were 9.9 MtCO2e.
This strong growth in fugitive emissions is a result of expansion in Queensland’s coal and gas extractive industry. Fugitive emissions also spiked in 2015 as large natural gas processing plants came online.
The main sources of fugitive emissions in 2018 were:
- underground coal mining (46%)
- surface coal mining (26%)
- natural gas extraction (25%).
Fugitive emissions are mostly methane, a GHG with a global warming potential 25 times higher than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period.
- Methane is found in coal and oil deposits and is released during the mining or extraction process.
- Methane also is the primary component of raw natural gas and is often released during extraction and processing.
The graph shows the consistent increase in fugitives from the coal mining industry between 1990 and 2018 and the sudden growth in fugitives arising from the natural gas industry between 2014 and 2018.
Queensland has the largest share of fugitive emissions in Australia.
More information:
Relevant Sustainable Development Goals’ targets
Proportion of fugitive emissions by state, 2018
- Chart
- Table
State | Emissions (million tonnes) |
---|---|
Queensland | 19.061 |
Western Australia | 14.194 |
New South Wales | 13.003 |
Victoria | 3.869 |
South Australia | 2.578 |
Northern Territory | 1.611 |
Australian Capital Territory | 0.000 |
Tasmania | 0.000 |
Proportion of Queensland’s fugitive emissions by category, 2018
- Chart
- Table
Category | Emissions (million tonnes) |
---|---|
Underground coal mining | 8.763 |
Surface coal mining | 4.915 |
Oil and Natural Gas | 4.832 |
Other mining | 0.551 |
Trends in Queensland’s fugitive emissions, by category
- Chart
- Table
Year | Underground coal mining | Surface coal mining | Other mining | Oil and Natural Gas |
---|---|---|---|---|
1990 | 1.067 | 1.660 | 0.000 | 0.438 |
1991 | 1.401 | 1.716 | 0.000 | 0.441 |
1992 | 1.486 | 1.856 | 0.000 | 0.456 |
1993 | 1.529 | 1.896 | 0.000 | 0.487 |
1994 | 1.943 | 1.909 | 0.000 | 0.554 |
1995 | 2.687 | 1.967 | 0.000 | 0.598 |
1996 | 1.886 | 2.010 | 0.000 | 0.621 |
1997 | 3.407 | 2.099 | 0.000 | 0.652 |
1998 | 4.183 | 2.131 | 0.000 | 0.624 |
1999 | 3.856 | 2.221 | 0.001 | 0.689 |
2000 | 5.288 | 2.263 | 0.002 | 0.657 |
2001 | 4.913 | 2.603 | 0.002 | 0.757 |
2002 | 4.610 | 2.904 | 0.002 | 0.779 |
2003 | 4.864 | 2.982 | 0.001 | 0.765 |
2004 | 4.514 | 3.160 | 0.004 | 0.721 |
2005 | 5.511 | 3.539 | 0.008 | 0.804 |
2006 | 5.067 | 3.557 | 0.010 | 0.826 |
2007 | 5.761 | 3.687 | 0.011 | 0.851 |
2008 | 6.643 | 3.534 | 0.028 | 0.932 |
2009 | 5.726 | 3.855 | 0.149 | 1.645 |
2010 | 6.844 | 4.087 | 0.141 | 1.913 |
2011 | 6.483 | 3.491 | 0.136 | 1.881 |
2012 | 7.071 | 3.868 | 0.173 | 1.953 |
2013 | 7.143 | 4.234 | 0.441 | 1.803 |
2014 | 6.042 | 4.621 | 0.473 | 2.288 |
2015 | 6.980 | 4.746 | 0.494 | 4.237 |
2016 | 7.412 | 4.765 | 0.483 | 5.212 |
2017 | 7.529 | 4.714 | 0.494 | 5.328 |
2018 | 8.763 | 4.915 | 0.551 | 4.832 |
Queensland’s total fugitive emissions
Year | Emissions (million tonnes) |
---|---|
1990 | 3.165 |
1991 | 3.557 |
1992 | 3.798 |
1993 | 3.913 |
1994 | 4.405 |
1995 | 5.251 |
1996 | 4.517 |
1997 | 6.158 |
1998 | 6.939 |
1999 | 6.767 |
2000 | 8.209 |
2001 | 8.275 |
2002 | 8.295 |
2003 | 8.612 |
2004 | 8.399 |
2005 | 9.862 |
2006 | 9.460 |
2007 | 10.311 |
2008 | 11.137 |
2009 | 11.376 |
2010 | 12.985 |
2011 | 11.991 |
2012 | 13.066 |
2013 | 13.622 |
2014 | 13.425 |
2015 | 16.457 |
2016 | 17.871 |
2017 | 18.065 |
2018 | 19.061 |
Download data from Queensland Government Open Data Portal
Metadata
Queensland annual greenhouse gas emissions in carbon dioxide equivalent from 1990–2018 by fugitive emissions sector. Total fugitive emissions sector greenhouse gas emissions in millions of tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent comparing states for 2018. Source: Australian Greenhouse Emissions Information System, Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources.