Humanity has never emitted so much CO2 as in 2021

in full Russian gas crisis and despite the strongest growth ever recorded in the production ofrenewable energyI’International Energy Agency (IEA) announces today that our emissions carbon dioxide (CO₂) reached, for the year 2021, an unprecedented level of 36.3 billion tonnes. A historic increase compared to 2020. And which largely compensates for the decline that had been induced by the health crisis.

According to IEA experts, these bad figures are explained by a rebound in the economy, on the one hand. By weather situation unfavorable, on the other hand. And by the soaring prices of gas fossil fuel which had the immediate effect of increasing the consumption of coal. A coal whose combustion emits more than twice as much CO₂ than that of gas.

China, bad student

On a more strictly geographical level, it is in particular China which plays a large part in this increase in emissions. On its own and with nearly 12 billion tonnes of CO₂ emitted, it accounts for some 33% of global emissions. Thanks to an economy that has continued to grow despite the pandemic of the Covid-19. And a demand for electricity which has increased like never before during the year 2021. Electricity mainly produced in coal-fired power plants.

The good news comes from renewable energies and nuclear which, in the world, produced more electricity than coal in 2021. Renewable production even reached a record of 8,000 terawatt hours (TWh). This is 500 TWh more than the previous year. And even in China, never before had such strong growth been recorded. In particular thanks to solar and wind power. The hydraulics having suffered from a lot of droughts.

Towards a new record for CO emissions₂

The G20 Environment, Climate and Energy will be held in Naples on July 22 and 23. On the program, in particular, to place the ecological transition at the center of the political agenda. And according to the latest report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), there is still a long way to go for this. Experts believe that far from decreasing, our CO emissions₂ will continue to increase sharply at least until 2023. According to experts, there is no peak on the horizon.

Article of Nathalie Mayer published on 20/07/2021

In 2020, the Covid-19 crisis reduced our carbon dioxide emissions (CO₂) — it should be remembered, the main responsible for the anthropogenic global warming that we are currently experiencing — for the first time in nearly 30 years. A drop of no less than 7%. But, as after the financial crisis 10 years ago, experts had already predicted earlier in the year that 2021 would see a massive rebound in our emissions. The second largest in history. In particular, a recovery centered on investments in the fuels fossils. Even more so in coal — for which the experts expect growth of 5% in 2021 and 3% in 2022 – yet reputed to be the dirtiest of them.

Today theInternational Energy Agency (AIE) confirms the unfortunate trend. Our emissions are expected to increase this year, just like next year. To reach a record in 2023, exceeding that established in 2018. A forecast far from being in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Because let us remember that the researchers believe that in order to succeed in limiting the global warming at +1.5°C, we would have to halve our emissions during this decade.

The IEA advances the following figures. In 2020, the world emitted 31.4 gigatonnes (Gt) of CO₂. In 2025, we could be at 34.7 Gt and even 33.9 Gt if the sustainable measures announced today by governments are put in place. However, to reach theobjective “zero emissions” in 2050, our emissions in 2025 should not exceed… 27.9 Gt!

Investments that are too low and poorly distributed

The IEA report emphasizes in particular that if more than 320 billion euros have indeed been invested by the States in the sustainable energies at the beginning of 2021, this represents only 2% of the tax measures put in place to overcome the economic crisis linked to the Covid-19 pandemic. And even though states have announced similar investments by 2023, this is still only 35% of what a recent IEA report estimated needed to get on the path to zero emissions. 2050.

Experts also point to significant geographical disparities. Thus industrialized countries such as the United States, Europe or Japan seem to be on the way to reducing their emissions. Developing countries or emerging economies like India or South American countries, on the other hand, will soon be responsible for 90% of the growth in CO emissions.₂ announced.

Much like the case with the health crisis, scientists are therefore calling on industrialized countries and institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) not only to intensify their own efforts for an ecological transition, but also to support those of emerging economies. On the eve of the COP26, it is thus a question of granting aid of at least 85 billion euros per year to developing countries to finance climate projects.

Fatih Birol, the IEA’s executive director and one of the world’s most recognized energy economists, will present his findings to relevant G20 ministers later this week. Its objective: to encourage them to uphold the principle of “green recovery” which we so need. “There is no other way outhe assures. But we must keep in mind that, even if the room for maneuver is reduced, the objective remains achievable”.