Page 4 - AfrElec Week 29 2022

AfrElec COMMENTARY AfrElec

Emissions surge to outstrip

pre-pandemic levels

COMMENTARY Global emissions of carbon dioxide and other more often, and for longer periods.
greenhouse gases (GHGs) rose 6.4% to 51bn The rapid recovery in emissions dashed any
tonnes in 2021, eclipsing the pre-pandemic peak hopes that 2021 would mark the beginning of a
of 50.3bn tonnes in 2019 as global economic more permanent downward shift in emissions.
activity resumed, International Monetary Fund Instead, total emissions have climbed signifi-
(IMF) data showed. cantly above pre-pandemic levels.Emissions
The increase cancelled out the 4.6% decline in from the manufacturing and the energy sectors
emissions to 47.9bn tonnes seen in 2020, when contributed the most to 2021’s increases, the
lockdowns restricted global mobility and ham- IMF said, while increases from transportation
pered economic activity. and households were more muted as the pan-
Emissions bouncing back in 2021 means that demic weighed on global mobility.
the world is no closer to reaching its 1.5°C tar- This was particularly evident with the emer-
gets, despite the global commitments to achiev- gence of the omicron variant of coronavirus in
ing this target by 2050 made at COP26. the fourth quarter of 2021. The public health
The figures demonstrate the uphill task facing policy measures in many countries drove down
governments and corporations to combat cli- the emissions of households and of the electricity
mate change and global warming. sector.
The current energy crisis and the disruption The IMF warned that it would be important to
to global energy markets caused by Russia’s war monitor the emissions of both of these sectors as
against Ukraine, not to mention to current heat- economies fully reopen in the context of histori-
waves, are all hindering progress towards achiev- cally high fossil fuel-based energy prices.
ing the target. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Much of Western Europe is seeing record tem- Change has said that limiting atmospheric
peratures, reaching 40°C in Germany, France warming to the key level of around 1.5°C
and the UK, and heatwaves are now happening requires global GHG emissions to peak by 2025

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