When a country reports greenhouse gas emissions, it only counts emissions within its borders.
In 2024, Australia reported net 435.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. That means the entire country created 435.8 Mt CO2-e in a 12-month period.
In the same year, Australia’s exported emissions were nearly three times higher, at 1,207.8 Mt CO₂e.
The chart below shows exported emissions by quarter.
Note that the y-axis covers a similar range as the chart above, but here it reflects quarterly emissions, not annual totals.
What are ‘exported emissions’?
Exported emissions are greenhouse gases released when other countries burn Australian natural resources and energy commodities.
Australia extracts these raw materials and, rather than burning them here, sells them overseas. They’re combusted at their destination, generating greenhouse gas emissions offshore.
In effect, by selling fuels intended to be burned, Australia exports emissions by offshoring the combustion of the resources it mines and sells.
How exported emissions are calculated
Calculating exported emissions involves estimates and assumptions. The methods are science-based but inexact.
Each fuel (such as coal or gas) is assigned:
- An energy content factor (how much energy is produced per tonne)
- An emissions factor (how much CO₂e is released when the fuel is used in a specific way)
Energy content factors are based on the fuel’s chemical composition, while emissions factors depend on how the fuel is used and under what conditions. Some fuels may release lower emissions due to their makeup or the way they’re used, while others may release more.
The factors are generalised averages that are imperfect but useful and necessary.
Once factors are assigned, exported emissions are calculated using this formula: CO₂e emissions (Mt) = fuel volume (Mt) × energy content factor (GJ/t) × emissions factor (t/GJ)
The data shown on OnlyFacts is sourced from the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR), and converted to emissions using the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors (2024).
Here are Australia's exported emissions by fuel:
Use this table to drill into the full data history for each:
Australia doesn’t only export emissions through energy commodities; we import them too, mainly in the form of crude oil, liquefied petroleum gas LPG, and petrol. These emissions are included in Australia’s domestic inventories.
Here are Australia's imported emissions by fuel:
'Refined products' include automotive gasoline, aviation gasoline, aviation turbine fuel, kerosene, fuel oil, lubricating oils, greases and basestocks.
Key Takeaways
- Australia's exported emissions are nearly three times its domestic emissions.
- In 2024, Australia reported 435.8 Mt CO₂e in domestic emissions.
- In the same year, the resources it exported produced an estimated 1,207.8 Mt CO₂e when burned overseas.
