Since the 1980s, growing concern over greenhouse gases pushed scientists to start breaking down exactly which human activities were driving emissions, sector by sector: Energy, Agriculture, Industrial Processes, Waste, Land Use Change and Forestry, and international Bunker Fuels (aviation and shipping).

This animation traces how each sector has evolved from 1990 to 2023, the most recent year with available data. One striking result: emissions from the Energy sector alone in 2023 exceed the combined emissions of every sector put together in 1990.

Data: Climate Watch (World Resources Institute)