Increased energy demand in 2017 led to record carbon emissions

As the global economic recovery continues, China and India helped boost global energy demand by more than 2 percent in 2017, more than
double the growth rate in 2016.

Increased energy demand in 2017 led to record carbon emissions

Higher demand, mainly through fossil fuels, and slower improvements in energy efficiency have led to higher
CO2 emissions.
According to the IEA, carbon dioxide levels rose 1.
4 percent in 2017 to an all-time high of 32.
5 billion tonnes
.

This growth rate corresponds to an increase of 460 million tons, equivalent to the emissions
of 170 million vehicles.
This is the first increase in emissions after three years of stabilization, but it stands in stark contrast
to the sharp reductions needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

IEA Birol said: "The significant increase in global energy-related CO2 emissions in 2017 shows that current efforts to combat climate change are far from adequate
.
We are far from meeting the climate goals
set by Paris.
”

Under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, countries agreed to limit global temperature rise to no more than 2°C
in pre-industrial times.
Birol said the sharp decline in energy efficiency, mainly due to weaker regional policies, is a worrying trend
.
Governments need to pay special attention to improving the energy efficiency
of buildings.

The trend of rising emissions is not widespread
.
According to the data, the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico and Japan all declined
.

The largest drop in emissions in the United States, down 0.
5 percent or 25 million tonnes, was the third consecutive year of
declines at 4.
81 billion tonnes for the year.
While President Trump led the U.
S.
out of the Paris climate accord, it has seen a significant shift from coal-fired power generation to natural gas generation due to a boom in domestic shale gas resources, which has helped
reduce emissions.

Last year, however, the decline was driven by higher renewable generation and lower demand for electricity, with the IEA saying the share of renewables generating in the U.
S.
reached a record 17 percent
.

In the UK, carbon emissions fell by 3.
8%, or 15 million tonnes, to 350 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, the lowest level
since 1960.
The shift of coal to natural gas and renewables continued, resulting in a 19%
drop in coal demand.
Under the Climate Change Act 2008, the UK government committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80%
by 2050 compared to 1990 levels.

While fossil fuels continue to meet most of the growth in global energy demand, accounting for about 72 percent, the remaining 25 percent or so of demand is met by renewables, the highest
growth rate of any energy type, the IEA said.
The surge in renewables is led by China and the United States, which account for about
50 percent of the growth in renewable energy generation.

Natural gas demand grew 3% in 2017, partly due to ample supply and relatively low
costs.
China alone accounts for nearly 30 percent of global growth, the IEA said, signaling a structural shift
in China's domestic economy away from energy-intensive industries.

Coal demand has continued to decline over the past two years, growing slightly by 1% in 2017, mainly driven
by Asian economies.

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