America’s Carbon Advantage 2025

The United States holds a significant carbon efficiency advantage, meaning American firms generally produce similar goods with fewer emissions than their global competitors. On average, U.S.-manufactured goods are more than twice as carbon-efficient as the world average and about four times as efficient as those made in China. The Climate Leadership Council first explored this advantage in its 2020 report, America’s Carbon Advantage. Our latest research updates the data, reaffirming the U.S. carbon efficiency lead and examining the key factors behind it—namely, fundamental differences in energy use and industrial practices across major economies.