Last year, global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose to an all-time high. One country is primarily responsible for this.
According to an analysis by the International Energy Agency (IEA), global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose last year by six percent to 36.3 billion tons.
This is the highest level ever, which more than compensates for the decline in the previous year that occurred at the beginning of the corona pandemic, the IEA announced on Tuesday in Paris. The recovery of the global economy after the Corona crisis was heavily based on coal. Also, unfavorable weather and high natural gas prices led to more coal being burned, even though power generation from renewable sources saw its fastest growth ever.
Coal accounted for over 40 percent of the total growth in global CO2 emissions in 2021, according to the IEA analysis, reaching an all-time high of 15.3 billion tons. CO2 emissions from natural gas rose well above 2019 levels to 7.5 billion tons. At 10.7 billion tons, CO2 emissions from oil remained well below pre-pandemic levels due to the limited recovery in global transport activity, mainly aviation.
All-time high in renewable energy
Despite increased coal consumption, renewable energy sources and nuclear power will account for a larger share of global electricity generation than coal in 2021, according to the IEA. Renewable power generation hit an all-time high of over 8,000 terawatt hours (TWh), up 500 TWh from 2020. Wind and photovoltaic power output also increased, while hydropower generation slumped due to the effects of drought, particularly in the US and Brazil.
As the IEA data shows, China is largely responsible for the increase in global CO2 emissions. China was the only major economy to experience economic growth in both 2020 and 2021. The increase in emissions in China more than offset the overall decrease in the rest of the world over the period. According to the IEA analysis, China’s CO2 emissions rose to over 11.9 billion tons in 2021 alone, accounting for 33 percent of the world’s total emissions.
Source: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
