Source: Energy & Management Powernews,March 10, 2022
Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose 6% last year to an all-time record of 36.3 billion metric tons,
The drop in global carbon dioxide emissions that occurred at the start of the Corona pandemic was more than offset in 2021. The International Energy Agency (IEA) said in Paris that the 6% increase led to the highest emissions in history. It said the recovery of the global economy after the Corona crisis relied heavily on coal. In addition, unfavorable weather and high natural gas prices led to more coal being burned, even though electricity generation from renewable sources saw the largest growth ever, the IEA wrote.
Coal accounted for more than 40% of the total growth in global CO2 emissions in 2021, reaching an all-time high of 15.3 billion tons, according to the IEA analysis. This was due to high natural gas prices, which made coal-fired power plants more economical. CO2 emissions from natural gas also rose well above 2019 levels to 7.5 billion metric tons. Only emissions from oil remained well below pre-pandemic levels at 10.7 billion metric tons due to limited recovery in global transportation activity, mainly aviation.
Annual change in global CO2 emissions from industry and combustion from 1990 to 2021 Source: IEA
Renewable electricity generation grows
Despite increased coal consumption, renewable energy sources and nuclear power represented a higher share of global electricity generation than coal in 2021, the IEA said. According to the data, electricity generation from renewables reached an increase of 500 billion kWh compared to 2020. Output from wind and photovoltaics also increased, while hydropower generation declined due to the effects of drought, particularly in the U.S. and Brazil.
As the IEA data show, China is largely responsible for the increase in global CO2 emissions. According to the data, 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 decline in the rest of the world over the period. In 2021 alone, China's CO2 emissions rose to more than 11.9 billion metric tons, according to the IEA analysis, accounting for 33% of the global total.
Global energy transition still to come
The figures made clear that the global economic recovery from the Covid 19 crisis was not the sustained recovery that IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol had called for in the early stages of the pandemic in 2020. The world must now ensure that an accelerated energy transition contributes to global energy security and lower energy prices for consumers, Birol appealed.
India, too, CO2 emissions rose sharply in 2021 for the restarting economy. Coal-fired power generation reached an all-time high in India, rising 13% above 2020 levels, in part because growth in renewables slowed to a third of the average of the past five years, the IEA assesses. Still, CO2 emissions in the U.S., Japan and the EU were 2% to 4% below 2019 levels, despite economic recovery.
The Global Energy Review - CO2 Emissions in 2021 with more detailed information as well as graphs can be found on the IEA's site.
Author: Susanne Harmsen