Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions hit a record high in 2023, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a report on Friday. According to IEA analysis, the amount will increase by 410 million tons (1.1%) to 37.4 billion tons in 2023. From the report: “CO2 emissions have reached record highs, far from the rapid decline needed to meet the global climate goals set out in the Paris Agreement,” the IEA said. However, the Paris-based watchdog said clean energy such as wind and solar energy and electric vehicles could help offset the impact of continued coal burning and oil growth (1.3% in 2022). I also discovered that
The IEA said in a report that the restart of China's economy after the coronavirus pandemic and the recovery of the aviation sector contributed to the overall rise. Severe droughts in China, the United States, India and other countries last year disrupted hydropower production. This accounted for about 40% of the emissions increase, or 170 million tonnes of CO2. “Without this impact, global power sector emissions would have fallen in 2023,” the IEA said. Carbon dioxide emissions from coal accounted for the rest of the increase. According to IEA analysis, 2023 was the first year that at least half of electricity generation in developed countries came from low-emission sources such as renewables and nuclear power. A surge in renewable power generation has led to a 4.1% decline in energy-related emissions in the United States and a 9% decline in the European Union.