摘要：We provide a fast and efficient method for calculating global annual mean carbon dioxide
emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels by combining data from an established data set with
BP annual statistics. Using this method it is possible to retrieve an updated estimate of global
CO2 emissions six months after the actual emissions occurred. Using this data set we find that
atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions have increased by over 40% from 1990 to 2008 with
an annual average increase of 3.7% over the five-year period 2003–2007. In 2008 the growth
rate in the fossil fuel carbon dioxide emissions was smaller than in the preceding five years,
but it was still over 2%. Global mean carbon dioxide emissions in 2008 were 8.8 GtC yr−1. For the latter part of the last century emissions of carbon dioxide
have been greater from oil than from coal. However during the last few
years this situation has changed. The recent strong increase in fossil fuel
CO2 emissions is mainly driven by an increase in emissions from coal, whereas emissions from oil
and gas to a large degree follow the trend from the 1990s.
