Global Sulfur Emissions in the 1990s

Abstract

This paper provides global and individual country estimates of sulfur emissions from 1991-2000. Raw estimates are obtained in two ways. For countries and years with published data I compile that data from the available sources. For the remaining countries and for missing years for countries with some published data, I use either the decomposition model estimated by Stern (2002), the first differences environmental Kuznets curve model estimated by Stern and Common (2001), or a simple extrapolation, depending on the availability of data to interpolate or extrapolate estimates. The results are combined with estimates from the ASL database for earlier years to develop continuous time series from 1850 to 2000. Finally, I discuss the main movements in global and regional emissions in the 1990s and compare the results to other studies. Global emissions peaked in 1989 or 1991 and declined rapidly thereafter. The locus of emissions shifted towards East and South Asia, but even this region peaked in 1996. Our estimates tend to be lower than other published studies and show a much more rapid decline reflecting the view that technological progress in reducing sulfur based pollution has been rapid and is beginning to diffuse worldwide.