According to new research from the International Energy Agency, the effects of the increased use of coal and oil during the global energy crisis were mitigated by the development of solar, wind, and electric vehicles (EVs), heat pumps, and energy efficiency. This led to a rise in global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions of 0.9%, or 321 million tones, last year—less than initially anticipated (IEA).
Last year, these emissions increased to a record high of around 36.8 billion tones.
Even though the increase in emissions last year was considerably less than the extraordinary increase of over 6% in 2021, emissions continue to grow at an unsustainable rate, calling for more decisive action to speed up the transition to clean energy and put the world on a path to achieving its energy and climate goals, according to the analysis report.
In support of the inaugural Global Stocktake in the run-up to the COP28 Climate Change Conference in November, the study is the first in a new series called the Global Energy Transitions Stocktake, which will compile the most recent information from the IEA in one location and make it publicly available.
The rapid and emissions-intensive economic rebound from the COVID-induced crisis in 2021 interrupted a ten-year pattern, and it was noted that the growth in global emissions last year was far smaller than the 3.2% expansion in the worldwide economy.
The increase in emissions was caused by extreme weather conditions, including droughts and heat waves, and an exceptionally high number of nuclear power facilities that were not operating. However, it added that increasing renewable energy technology had prevented an extra 550 million tones of emissions.
As a result of the ongoing global energy crisis, which has led to a wave of gas-to-coal switching mainly in Asia and, to a lesser extent, in Europe, carbon dioxide emissions from coal increased by 1.6% last year. Even while the increase in coal emissions was only around one-fourth of the increase in 2021, it still substantially outpaced the average growth rate over the previous ten years.
The increase in coal emissions more than outweighed the 1.6% drop in natural gas emissions as demand for gas increased due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and due to efforts made by businesses and individuals in Europe to reduce gas consumption.
Oil-related carbon dioxide emissions increased by 2.5% last year, outpacing coal emissions, although they still fell below pre-pandemic levels. Although air traffic continued to recover from pandemic lows, aviation accounted for about half of the year-over-year increase in oil emissions.
As a result of stringent COVID-19 regulations, a decline in building activity, and reduced economic development, China’s emissions were almost unchanged in 2022.
The unprecedented deployment of renewable energy sources helped guarantee that coal usage was not as high as some analysts had predicted, resulting in a 2.5% decrease in emissions across the European Union. Efforts to save energy in reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a warm start to the European winter also played a role.
As a result of structures using more energy to survive the severe temperatures, emissions in the US increased by 0.8%. Emissions from Asia’s rising and developing nations, excluding China, grew by 4.2%, indicating the region’s brisk economic and energy demand development.
