Carbon dioxide CO₂

First, let’s go back to 1975, when motorists celebrated victory over poisonous carbon monoxide (CO), which was commonly released during fuel combustion. Thanks to the invention and mass deployment of a catalytic converter, this dangerous substance was successfully eliminated. The automotive catalytic converter reduces emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), and nitrogen oxides (NOx). In simple terms, the catalytic converter transforms harmful emissions into less harmful substances such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), water (H₂O), and nitrogen (N₂).

Over time, however, it became apparent that even inert carbon dioxide (CO₂) can be a problem, as it is considered one of the main causes of the greenhouse effect and global warming. CO₂ is a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere and affects the Earth’s climate.

Today, carbon dioxide (CO₂) has become primarily a political issue and is discussed in various contexts. Car manufacturers are now fined for CO₂ emissions produced by the vehicles they manufacture. Carbon dioxide is often confused with the general term exhaust gas emissions, which is not entirely correct. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, exhaust gas emissions consist of many components, and carbon dioxide is just one of them!

What do you know about carbon dioxide (CO₂)? How do you perceive this gas? Let’s take a look at a few basic questions and answers in broader contexts.

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What Exactly is CO₂ and Does Breathing it Harm Health?

The molecule of carbon dioxide is composed of two oxygen atoms and one carbon atom. This compound is heavier than air because the molar mass of carbon dioxide is 44 g/mol (molar mass of air is 28.96 g/mol), so it stays close to the ground. It is an inert, colorless gas, without taste or odor. CO₂ is not toxic unlike CO (carbon monoxide). Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a non-toxic gas, but it can be harmful to humans at high concentrations. Inhaling higher concentrations of CO₂ can lead to difficulty breathing, dizziness, nausea, and even loss of consciousness. This phenomenon occurs, for example, in poorly ventilated enclosed spaces. CO₂ is produced not only during the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels but also during normal respiration.

 

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What is CO₂ Used For?

Carbon dioxide is also produced industrially. Due to its properties, it is used, for example, in fire extinguishers, air conditioning units, or in the food industry. CO₂ is a gas used, for example, to carbonate popular beverages, especially sodas and beer. Carbonating beverages, among other things, prevents bacterial and fungal growth. CO₂ is also used for rapid freezing of food or, for example, to remove caffeine from coffee.

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CO₂ vs. Life:

It is true that carbon dioxide (CO₂) contributes to the greenhouse effect, but it does not necessarily mean catastrophe. Significant greenhouse gases also include water vapor, methane, and ozone. CO₂ entered the atmosphere due to volcanic eruptions already in prehistoric times. Its release caused a positive greenhouse effect, which allowed the Earth’s surface to warm to the extent that life could appear here. Without the greenhouse effect, the temperature on Earth would reach only -18°C. Moreover, carbon dioxide is an integral part of the basic process of living nature – photosynthesis and plant growth. With a bit of exaggeration, it could be said that CO₂ is actually a manifestation of life.

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How is CO₂ Formed in Nature?

Most of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is of natural origin. It is released, for example, during volcanic eruptions, composting, biomass combustion, etc. As mentioned earlier, carbon dioxide is also produced during the respiration of living organisms. When we inhale, we take in air with an approximate concentration of CO₂ of 0.03%, but when the air leaves our lungs, it has a concentration of CO₂ of 4%.

Take a look at the following two graphs, which show how rapid population growth is linked to rising CO₂ levels:

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Interesting Fact: The average person emits CO2 in various ways including breathing, electricity consumption, heating, driving a car or flying, and other activities – this is called the so-called carbon footprint. According to rough estimates, an average person emits about 1 kg of CO2 per day through breathing alone, which corresponds to approximately 365 kg of CO2 per year. For perspective, this is the amount of CO2 emitted by an average car when traveling about 3000 km, at an average fuel consumption of 5 liters of gasoline per 100 km. Forgive this gross oversimplification, it’s more of an illustration to give a general idea of how the world works with CO2.   The total CO2 emissions of a single person are much higher and depend on many factors such as lifestyle, diet, housing and other factors. From transport and industry alone, the global average of CO2 emitted per person is 4.7 tonnes, see charts below.

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How Do I Calculate CO₂ Emissions for My Vehicle?

CO₂ emissions are essentially directly proportional to fuel consumption, so they can be calculated very simply by an approximate calculation. If we know the average consumption in liters per 100 km, we multiply it by a coefficient of 23.92 (for diesel 26.40), and we get the CO₂ production. For example, seven liters of gasoline correspond to 166 g of CO₂ per km. A more accurate calculation of CO₂ production can be found here.

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How does transportation contribute to CO₂ production?

Transportation accounts for approximately only 12 percent of the total CO₂ production! Compared to industry and agriculture, this is not a significant share. Nevertheless, there is enormous pressure on car manufacturers to reduce CO₂ production. You can find more interesting graphs here: www.epa.gov

 

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Where are the main centers of CO₂ production / pollution?

Based on statistical data, we can quite easily identify the main centers of carbon dioxide pollution. Among the traditional largest polluters are the USA, Russia, China, but it might surprise some that Canada or states in the Persian Gulf region are also significant. Primarily due to refineries and heavy air traffic, countries like Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain produce the most tons of CO₂ per capita.

Table of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per capita in tons for each country in the given year:

Country	CO2 in 1990	CO2 in 2000	CO2 in 2010	CO2 in 2020
Qatar	25.8	62.4	42.8	37.1
UAE	27.2	34.1	21.8	23.3
Kuwait	22.6	28.4	30.9	22.4
Bahrain	22.3	27.0	24.0	25.3
Luxembourg	31.0	20.0	22.1	12.8
USA	20.6	21.3	18.3	14.0
Australia	16.3	18.4	18.4	15.5
Czech Republic	15.9	12.4	11.2	8.7
Russia	17.1	10.1	11.4	11.2
Japan	9.4	10.0	9.5	8.5
Germany	13.3	11.0	10.2	7.8
Slovakia	11.7	7.7	7.1	5.7
China	2.2	2.9	6.4	7.7
India	0.7	0.9	1.4	1.7

CO₂ production – interactive emission map of the world:

 

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How much carbon dioxide do newly manufactured cars produce?

If you read an article about calculating CO₂ emissions in combustion engines, you will find that the amount of CO₂ produced depends mainly on fuel consumption. Sports cars and city vehicles typically have very different fuel consumptions, and therefore different amounts of CO₂ produced.

Which brand emits the lowest average fleet CO₂ emissions?

Brand	Average CO2 emissions [g/km] in 2003	Average CO2 emissions [g/km] in 2010	Average CO2 emissions [g/km] in 2017	Average CO2 emissions [g/km] in 2020	Average CO2 emissions [g/km] in 2022	Average CO2 emissions [g/km] in 2023
Audi	206	159	128	106	99	93
BMW	197	153	122	97	97	94
Ferrari	545	505	358	310	354	341
Ford	190	141	114	97	97	94
Honda	173	134	106	91	91	88
Hyundai	167	128	105	92	92	89
Jaguar	245	192	163	134	129	127
Kia	166	129	105	92	92	89
Lamborghini	495	470	397	382	392	386
Mazda	204	162	127	107	107	103
Mercedes	225	177	129	112	112	109
Nissan	179	136	115	97	97	94
Opel/Vauxhall	182	138	117	96	96	93
Peugeot	166	127	103	93	93	90
Ram	471	412	321	288	218	204
Renault	165	126	100	89	89	86
Skoda	177	137	104	91	91	88
Tesla	0	0	0	0	0	0
Toyota	161	123	93	87	87	84
Volkswagen	181	139	116	99	99	96

source: CHATGTP

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What are the average fleet emissions of CO₂ in the EU?

The average fleet emissions of carbon dioxide continue to decline, which is certainly a positive trend. However, it needs to be seen in the context of the increasing number of vehicles being manufactured. In 1990, newly manufactured cars emitted an average of 186 grams of CO₂ per kilometer driven. By 2010, this had decreased to just 137 grams of CO₂ per kilometer. In 2022, it was only 95 g/km, which is actually the basic limit set by the European Union – vehicle emission penalties. However, it should be noted that in 1990, an estimated “only” about 40 million vehicles were produced worldwide, while the estimate for 2020 was about 90 million (though the actual number was ultimately lower due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

Year	Total number of manufactured vehicles	Average CO2 emissions [g/km]
1990	39 701 000	186
2000	58 374 000	172
2005	69 222 000	163
2010	77 857 705	137
2015	89 691 000	119
2018	95 634 593	111
2019	92 853 006	107
2020	78 794 002	107
2021	83 586 744	101
2022	88 379 486	95
2023	93 172 228	89

source: CHATGTP

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Conclusion on the CO₂ Issue?

The increasing production of CO₂ is indeed a serious global problem that cannot be addressed solely locally, for example, only in Europe! The main reason is that we all share the atmosphere, and when one person smokes in a room, everyone breathes it in!

As we have shown, the growing population of the planet and the related development of human activities have a significant impact on the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere. Each individual has their own needs and carbon footprint, and the size of this footprint depends to some extent on their lifestyle. For these reasons, it is necessary to perceive the increasing production of CO₂ primarily in broad contexts. It is good to break free from the popularized notion that “bad” cars are responsible for CO₂.

Europe itself, through its green policy (Green Deal), cannot save the world from increasing CO₂! The European share of global CO₂ production is relatively low compared to global production. Moreover, out of this low share, only 12% is attributed to transportation, as shown in the earlier graph in the text.

Let us realize that further pressure from the EU to reduce CO₂ production will be very costly, and its real ecological benefit is likely to be low. If you argue that someone must set an example and be the first, you are certainly right. But will others follow him when they see that he has ruined himself economically and socially?

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