The history (click here) of fossil-fuel CO2 emissions from Japan is remarkable for the abrupt change that occurred in 1973. With postwar growth at 9.8% per year from 1950 to 1973, total emissions were virtually constant from 1974-1987. From 1987-96, emissions grew 25.3% reaching 329 million metric tons of carbon. Growth during this period was characterized by a return to mid-1970s consumption levels for liquid petroleum products and increased contributions from coal and natural gas use. Since 1996, Japan's fossil-fuel CO2emissions have vacilated and now total 329 million metric tons of carbon in 2008. Based on United Nations energy trade data for 2008, Japan is the world's largest importer of coal (184 million metric tons) and liquified petroleum gas (13.2 million metric tons) and the second largest importer of crude oil (191 million metric tons) and natural gas (3.72 billion terajoules). Japan's per capita fossil-fuel CO2 emission rate for 2008 stands at 2.59 metric tons of carbon.
CITE AS: Boden, T.A., G. Marland, and R.J. Andres. 2011. Global, Regional, and National Fossil-Fuel CO2 Emissions. Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tenn., U.S.A. doi 10.3334/CDIAC/00001_V2011
