Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions are projected to increase by 1.5 billion tons this year, the second-largest increase in history, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency.
The IEA said that CO2 emissions are expected to rise nearly 5 percent in 2021, to 33 billion tons, reversing most of last year’s emissions decline caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. This year’s jump in greenhouse gas emissions will be the largest annual rise since the 2010 recovery from the global financial crisis.
The IEA said that the key driver of the emissions increase is the rise in coal use, forecasting that coal-burning in 2021 would come close to the all-time peak of 2014. Use of natural gas is also projected to increase this year above 2019 levels, and demand for oil is rebounding strongly, the IEA reported.
Read more at: Yale Environment 360
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