Global and National CO₂ Emission from Lime Production Process and Carbonation sink from 1930 to 2024

Abstract. Accurate quantification of both lime process emissions and carbonation sink is essential for the Global Carbon Budget (GCB). By extending temporal coverage (1930–2024), refining spatial resolution (11 major lime-producing countries), and expanding system boundaries (adding Blast Furnace Slag, BFS), this study constructs the first standardized dataset of lime CO₂ process emissions and carbonation sink covering 81.09 % of global lime production. We estimate cumulative global lime process emissions are 15.29 Gt CO₂ (95 % CI: 13.81–16.79 Gt CO₂), with the construction and metallurgical sectors serving as primary sources, contributing 5.80 Gt CO₂ (37.92 %) and 5.04 Gt CO₂ (32.95 %), respectively. During the same period, cumulative lime carbonation sink reached 7.33 Gt CO₂ (95 % CI: 5.95–8.88 Gt CO₂), achieving a carbon offset ratio (cement carbonation sink to process emission) of 47.65 %, which is 8.32 % increase compared with Bing et al. (2023). The lime carbonation sink in 2024 accounted for approximately 1.5 %–2 % of the global terrestrial carbon sink in 2023. China is the main contributor, with cumulative emissions of 8.89 Gt CO₂ (58.13 % of the global total) and cumulative carbonation sink of 4.21 Gt CO₂ (57.45 % globally) from 1930 to 2024. Lime‑stabilized soil (LSS, 36.53  %), mortar (MOR, 18.66  %), steel slag (SS, 17.73  %), and blast furnace slag (BFS, 12.83 %) were the primary carbon uptake materials, collectively accounting for 85.75 % of the total carbonation sink. Significant regional disparities were pronounced: developed countries (e.g., those in Europe, the United States, Japan, and Australia) have already peaked in lime process carbon emissions, with net emissions gradually approaching zero. In contrast, developing countries such as China and Brazil continue to exhibit growth in both emissions and carbonation sink. Although their carbon‑offset levels exceed 50 %, they face substantial pressure to reduce total emissions. This dataset provides critical data for incorporating the lime carbonation sink into the Global Carbon Budget. It also contributes to optimizing global carbon modelling and regional carbon‑neutrality pathways. The dataset is archived on Zenodo https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18616060 (Bing et al., 2026).