Page 6 - AsiaElec Week 11 2023

AsiaElec PERFORMANCE AsiaElec

Global energy sector emissions

reach new high in 2022

ASIA GLOBAL energy-related CO2 emissions (NPPs) being offline and industrial produc-
reached a new record in 2022 of 36.8bn tion curtailment, particularly in China and
WHAT: tonnes, inching up 0.9% from the previous Europe.
Record high emissions year’s level, the International Energy Agency Emissions from natural gas fell by 1.6%,
level across global (IEA) reported last week. reflecting reduced demand because of high
energy sectors. The rise was chiefly the result of soaring gas prices. Europe saw a decline of 13.5%, after
prices, which led more countries to ramp up having to resort to other fuels to cope with The decline in
WHY: coal use, while oil demand recovered as gov- the loss of Russian gas supply. Natural gas-re-
Increasing gas prices ernments ended lockdown measures. It came lated emissions in the Asia-Pacific region fell natural gas
prompts return to coal despite increased deployment of new wind, by 1.8% – an unprecedented decline con-
use in many regions. solar and other low-carbon technologies. sidering it is the fastest-growing market for emissions was
Despite emissions rising to a new height, gas. Europe secured extra LNG last year that
WHAT NEXT: the IEA said the growth had not been as would otherwise have gone to Asia, which more than offset
With Chinese and EU great as it had anticipated. Emissions fell 5% responded by stepping up coal-fired power by a 1.6%
emissions down, but in 2020, as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns, generation.
US numbers up, time to only to rise once more by 6% in 2021. The decline in natural gas emissions was increase in coal
wait and see what 2023 “In a year marked by energy price shocks, more than offset by a 1.6% increase in coal
brings. rising inflation and disruptions to traditional emissions. Meanwhile, CO2 emissions from emissions.
fuel trade flows, global growth in emissions oil climbed by 2.5%, with half of this rise
was lower than feared, despite gas-to-coal caused by a recovery in air travel from a pan-
switching in many countries,” the IEA said. demic low.
“Increased deployment of clean energy tech- Chinese emissions dropped by a slight
nologies such as renewables, electric vehicles 0.2% last year, while the EU reduced its
[EVs] and heat pumps helped prevent an emissions by 2.5%. US emissions rose by
additional 550mn tonnes in CO2 emissions.” 0.8%. Emissions from Asia’s emerging mar-
There were also other factors such as ket and developing economies, excluding
increased cooling and heating demand China, grew more than in any other region,
in extreme weather, nuclear power plants by 4.2%.™

P6 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 11 15 •March•2023