* Mt CO₂-e = Million Tonnes of Carbon Dioxide equivalent.
Transport is Australia's second-biggest greenhouse gas emitter, after electricity. This is primarily due to the combustion of fossil fuels in vehicles.
The sector's emissions bounced around during the pandemic and are now slightly below pre-Covid levels.
Road transport, including cars, trucks, and buses, is the largest contributor within the transport sector, with private car use and heavy freight being particularly emissions-intensive.
Act
Total Transport Emissions
|
YEAR |
Mt CO₂-e |
NET |
|---|---|---|
| 2013-14 | 1.017 | 3.1% |
| 2014-15 | 1.082 | 6.4% |
| 2015-16 | 1.138 | 5.2% |
| 2016-17 | 1.091 | 4.1% |
| 2017-18 | 1.057 | 3.1% |
| 2018-19 | 1.086 | 2.7% |
| 2019-20 | 0.898 | 17.3% |
| 2020-21 | 0.899 | 0.1% |
| 2021-22 | 1.015 | 12.9% |
Source: DCCEEW via OnlyFacts | Updated: 30-06-22 | License: CC BY 4.0
Act
Total Transport Emissions
Source: DCCEEW via OnlyFacts | Updated: 30-06-22 | License: CC BY 4.0
Act
Total Transport Emissions
Source: DCCEEW via OnlyFacts | Updated: 30-06-22 | License: CC BY 4.0
Act
Transport Type
|
SECTOR |
Mt CO₂-e |
NET |
|---|---|---|
| Road | 0.995 | 12.1% |
| Maritime | 0.019 | 84.8% |
| Not available | 0.001 | 0 |
Source: DCCEEW via OnlyFacts | Updated: 30-06-22 | License: CC BY 4.0
Act
Transport emissions per 100k people
Source: DCCEEW via OnlyFacts | Updated: 30-06-22 | License: CC BY 4.0
Aus
States and Territories
Source: DCCEEW via OnlyFacts | Updated: 30-06-22 | License: CC BY 4.0
Aus
States and Territories
Source: DCCEEW via OnlyFacts | Updated: 30-06-22 | License: CC BY 4.0
Aus
Transport emissions per 100k people
Source: DCCEEW via OnlyFacts | Updated: 30-06-22 | License: CC BY 4.0
Aus
Transport emissions
Source: DCCEEW via OnlyFacts | Updated: 30-06-22 | License: CC BY 4.0
Australia’s reported greenhouse gas emissions are often revised in later reports. This page tracks every version of reported emissions in the quarterly inventory updates.
How to read these charts: The lines show Australia's reported emissions in million tonnes of Carbon Dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2-e). Each line represents the date they were reported. Click on the categories in the legend to deselect.
Acknowledgment: This topic was inspired by Ketan Joshi, an author and communications consultant who focuses on climate. The chart concepts below also come from him.
Aus
Emissions Revisions
Source: DCCEEW Quarterly updates via OnlyFacts | Updated: 30-08-24 | License: CC BY 4.0
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