Total annual greenhouse gas emissions

Key Finding

Queensland’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2018 were 171.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e) (including the land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector) making up 32% of Australia’s total. Queensland's greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 8% between 2005 and 2018.

In 1990, Queensland’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were 184.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e) including the land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector. Emissions peaked in 2005 at 187.3 MtCO₂e.

Queensland’s highest emitting sectors in 2018 were:

stationary energy (45% or 77.6 MtCO₂e)
land use, land use change and forestry (13% or 22.8 MtCO₂e)
transport (13% or 22.6 MtCO₂e)
agriculture (12% or 21.2 MtCO₂e)
fugitive emissions from mining and gas (11% or 19.1 MtCO₂e).

In 2018, Queensland’s emissions were 171.7 MtCO₂e.

This represents an overall fall of 8% (15.6 MtCO₂e) between 2005 and 2018.
The primary contributor to this reduction was the LULUCF sector. Its emissions reduced 66% or 43.3 MtCO₂e since 2005 levels.

Total emissions from all other sources (excluding LULUCF) increased 23% between 2005 and 2018, and almost doubled since 1990. This reflects increases in economic activity, including resource extraction and fuel production, increases in population and the number of vehicles in operation, and an increased demand for electricity which was primarily generated from the combustion of black coal.

The energy sectors including stationary energy, fugitive emissions and transport drove the increases, while emissions from industrial processes, agriculture and waste remained relatively consistent over the period.

In 2018, Queensland contributed more GHG emissions than any other Australian state and territory, responsible for 32% of the nation’s total of 537.4 MtCO₂e. On a per capita basis, Queensland is the third highest emitting jurisdiction (34.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e) per person) behind the Northern Territory (64.7 tCO₂e per person) and Western Australia (35.2 tCO₂e per person) and above the national average (21.5 tCO₂e per person).

The Australian Government calculates Queensland’s GHG emissions as part of its National Greenhouse Accounts and National Inventory Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

More information:

Relevant Sustainable Development Goals’ targets

Proportion of Queensland’s emissions by sector, 2018

Chart
Table

Sector	Emissions (million tonnes)
Stationary energy	77.64
LULUCF	22.80
Transport	22.58
Agriculture	21.17
Fugitive emissions	19.06
Industrial processes	5.90
Waste	2.58

Comparison of state and territory emissions by sector, 2018

Chart
Table

Sector	Qld	NSW	Vic	WA	SA	NT	Tas	ACT
Stationary energy	77.64	67.35	64.18	55.52	8.76	3.86	2.15	0.00
LULUCF	22.80	-13.28	-11.44	-9.02	-4.68	5.51	-10.39	-0.10
Transport	22.58	28.71	23.45	14.73	7.09	1.55	1.59	1.09
Agriculture	21.17	17.96	15.68	9.37	5.89	3.19	2.29	0.02
Fugitive emissions	19.06	13.00	3.87	14.19	2.58	1.61	0.10	0.04
Industrial processes	5.90	13.67	3.86	5.04	3.64	0.15	1.72	0.21
Waste	2.58	4.28	2.59	1.64	0.96	0.17	0.35	0.12

Trends in Queensland emissions, by sector

Chart
Table

Year	All (incl. LULUCF)	Stationary energy	LULUCF	Transport	Agriculture	Fugitive emissions	Industrial processes	Waste
1990	184.21	34.20	108.92	11.26	19.89	3.16	3.45	3.32
1991	179.33	34.89	102.10	11.50	20.54	3.56	3.42	3.32
1992	151.34	36.24	72.73	11.78	20.00	3.80	3.47	3.32
1993	145.24	38.10	64.60	12.28	19.50	3.91	3.52	3.33
1994	137.39	39.07	55.71	12.68	18.88	4.41	3.29	3.35
1995	133.58	41.16	48.40	13.59	18.79	5.25	3.12	3.27
1996	136.42	42.09	50.64	14.03	19.02	4.52	3.04	3.07
1997	134.70	43.66	44.90	14.38	19.40	6.16	3.09	3.11
1998	136.74	47.94	40.45	14.55	20.32	6.94	3.49	3.06
1999	149.62	49.99	51.57	14.63	20.19	6.77	3.46	3.01
2000	151.02	50.61	48.78	15.11	21.83	8.21	3.48	3.01
2001	169.31	54.09	63.39	15.39	20.91	8.28	4.18	3.07
2002	171.50	57.22	61.69	15.83	21.11	8.30	4.40	2.95
2003	167.36	58.25	57.09	16.33	19.42	8.61	4.94	2.72
2004	167.99	61.89	51.69	17.38	20.77	8.40	5.21	2.66
2005	187.32	64.48	66.09	17.89	20.96	9.86	5.48	2.56
2006	183.43	66.89	60.79	18.23	20.54	9.46	5.02	2.50
2007	184.83	67.24	59.61	18.95	20.50	10.31	5.43	2.80
2008	180.60	67.25	53.57	19.23	20.55	11.14	5.93	2.93
2009	174.87	67.79	45.35	19.69	21.51	11.38	5.99	3.17
2010	176.81	66.60	48.39	19.88	19.64	12.99	6.17	3.16
2011	164.22	64.31	36.59	20.29	21.94	11.99	5.85	3.24
2012	164.32	65.43	34.82	21.07	21.26	13.07	5.87	2.79
2013	162.48	65.08	32.28	21.03	22.01	13.62	5.45	3.02
2014	159.33	63.26	30.70	21.03	22.24	13.42	5.81	2.86
2015	160.20	68.94	24.82	21.19	20.01	16.46	5.91	2.88
2016	160.20	71.86	19.85	22.28	19.63	17.87	5.81	2.90
2017	165.01	74.75	21.45	22.51	19.97	18.06	5.53	2.73
2018	171.74	77.64	22.80	22.58	21.17	19.06	5.90	2.58

Total Queensland emissions

Year	Emissions (million tonnes)
1990	184.21
1991	179.33
1992	151.34
1993	145.24
1994	137.39
1995	133.58
1996	136.42
1997	134.70
1998	136.74
1999	149.62
2000	151.02
2001	169.31
2002	171.50
2003	167.36
2004	167.99
2005	187.32
2006	183.43
2007	184.83
2008	180.60
2009	174.87
2010	176.81
2011	164.22
2012	164.32
2013	162.48
2014	159.33
2015	160.20
2016	160.20
2017	165.01
2018	171.74

Download data from Queensland Government Open Data Portal

Metadata

Total Queensland annual greenhouse gas emissions in carbon dioxide equivalent from 1990–2018 by sector including Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF). Total greenhouse gas emissions in millions of tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent comparing state and sectors for 2018 (including LULUCF). Source: Australian Greenhouse Emissions Information System, Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources.

Last updated: 03 September 2021