Global climate emissions from the energy sector stall in 2014
Fri 13 March 2015
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The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that accordingly to preliminary figures gobal emissions of carbon dioxide in the energy sector stalled in 2014, halting four decades of upward rise, except in years with an economic downturn. It suggests that policy responses, rather than economic factors, led to the zero growth in emissions. The IEA estimates that global CO2 emissions totalled 32.3 billion tonnes in 2014, unchanged from the previous year.
The organisation attributes the stall in emissions' growth to China's as well as other OECD countries' changing patterns of energy consumption. "In China, 2014 saw greater generation of electricity from renewable sources, such as hydropower, solar and wind, and less burning of coal,” reported the IEA.
The IEA's chief economist Fatih Birol said, "This is both a very welcome surprise and a significant one. It provides much-needed momentum to negotiators preparing to forge a global climate deal in Paris in December: for the first time, greenhouse gas emissions are decoupling from economic growth."
However, IEA executive director Maria van der Hoeven cautioned: "The latest data on emissions are indeed encouraging, but this is no time for complacency - and certainly not the time to use this positive news as an excuse to stall further action."
Further details of the data and analysis will be published in a special report on energy and climate on 15 June.
Meanwhile, ahead of UN climate change discussion in Paris in December, international stakeholder body the Climate Group has stated that the world will not prosper without ensuring carbon emissions reduction. Countries will be submitting their action plans for climate change abatement over the months leading up to Paris. Climate Group chief executive Mark Kenber said: "Instead of putting forward plans for the least effort they thought they could get away with, countries should treat their pledges as an “investment prospectus” to attract international investors to their economy. European nations have already submitted a pledge to cut emissions by “at least” 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.
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