Comparisons

Units used in emissions measurement, such as KtCO₂e, are not necessarily familiar to everyone. Therefore, it may be challenging to appreciate the scale of emissions associated with Ethereum as presented in our estimates. The purpose of this section is to make Ethereum's emissions more tangible and relatable, for example, by comparing them to other common activities, thereby ensuring the information is comprehensible to a broad audience.

However, it should be noted that three major limitations apply to all comparisons:

Note:  All following comparisons are based on our best-guess estimate. They are simply illustrative and do not constitute an endorsement or any other form of value judgement. Our aim is to continually update this page with relevant and applicable comparisons. We are always open to feedback, comments and suggestions for new comparisons or reliable data sources If you would like to suggest how we could improve the index, please feel free to contact us.

Sources:
Car emissions: assumption typical passenger vehicle, defined as a 2-axle 4-tire gasoline-powered vehicle with an average fuel economy of 22.9 miles per gallon and travelling on average 11,520 miles per year. Estimated carbon dioxide emissions per gallon 8.89 × 10^-3; assumed ratio of carbon dioxide emissions to total greenhouse gas emissions for passenger vehicles is 1:0.993. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2023). Greenhouse Gases Equivalencies Calculator - Calculations and References
Air travel: Example aircraft Boing 747 with Rolls-Royce RB211 engine. Assumptions: Total seats 416; fuel burn per seat 303 kg (Jet A-1) per 6000 nmi. Source: Boing. (2010). The right choice for the large airplane market; carbon dioxide emissions coefficient (Jet fuel) 9.75kg CO₂ per gallon. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration. (2023). Carbon Dioxide Emissions Coefficients; assumed round-trip travel distance 6,905 miles (from Heathrow Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport to Heathrow Airport).
UK households: UK household (domestic average and temperature corrected) electricity and gas consumption (2022 est.). Source: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. (2022). Energy Consumption in the UK; UK electricity mix (2022 est.). Source: Ritchie, H., & Rosado, P. (2020). Electricity Mix. Our World in Data.; Life cycle emissions factors for electricity generation technologies. Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (2021). Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Electricity Generation: Update. Golden: NREL
Forest carbon sequestration: Assumption 470 stems per acre. Source: Fargione, J., Haase, D. L., Burney, O. T., Kildisheva, O. A., Edge, G., Cook-Patton, S. C., Chapman, T., Rempel, A., Hurteau, M. D., Davis, K. T., Dobrowski, S., Enebak, S., De La Torre, R., Bhuta, A. A. R., Cubbage, F., Kittler, B., Zhang, D., & Guldin, R. (2021). Challenges to the Reforestation Pipeline in the United States. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 4.; Carbon sequestration per tree 22 kg CO₂. Source: Moseman, A., & Harvey, C. (2022). How many new trees would we need to offset our carbon emissions?