What is the global carbon budget?

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuels and industry increased by 0.6% in 2014, with a total of 9.8±0.5 GtC billion tonnes of carbon and 35.9 GtCO2 emitted to the atmosphere, 60% above 1990 emissions (the Kyoto Protocol reference year). Emissions are projected to decline by - 0.6% in 2015 (range - 1.6% to + 0.5%).

In 2014, the ocean and land carbon sinks respectively removed 27% and 37% of total CO2 (fossil fuel and land use change), leaving 36% of emissions in the atmosphere. The ocean sink in 2014 was 2.9±0.5 GtC (10.6 GtCO2), slightly above the 2005-2014 average of 2.6±0.5, and the land sink was 4.1±0.9 GtC (15 GtCO2), the largest sink recorded over the past 60 years, and well above the 3.0±0.8 average of 2005-2014.

Total cumulative emissions from 1870 to 2014 were 400±20 GtC (1465 GtCO2) from fossil fuels and cement, and 145±50 GtC (549.6 GtCO2) from land use change. The total of 545±55 GtC was partitioned among the atmosphere (230±5 GtC), ocean (155±20 GtC), and the land (160±60 GtC)