Page 4 - AsiaElec Week 10 2022

AsiaElec COMMENTARY AsiaElec

China, India drive rebound

in global CO2 emissions

GLOBAL GLOBAL energy-related carbon dioxide emis- estimates that the IEA published last month and
sions rose by 6% in 2021 to a record high of estimates of nitrous oxide and flaring-related
36.3bn tonnes, as coal dominated the world CO2 emissions, the new analysis shows that
economy’s rebound from the coronavirus overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from
(COVID-19) pandemic. energy rose to their highest ever level in 2021.
China was the driving factor, with emissions Methane emissions, the second-largest
rising above 11.9bn tonnes in 2021, account- source of global warming, rose by nearly 5% in
ing for 33% of the global total and emissions 2021, IEA’s Global Methane Tracker showed.
increases in 2020 and 2021 more than offsetting The numbers make clear that the global eco-
the aggregate decline in the rest of the world. nomic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis has
The 2bn tonne rise was the largest in history not been the sustainable recovery that IEA Exec-
in absolute terms, more than offsetting the pan- utive Director Fatih Birol called for during the
demic-induced decline seen in 2020, the Inter- early stages of the pandemic in 2020.
national Energy Agency (IEA) said in a new The IEA said in its statement on March 8 that
report. world must now ensure that the global rebound
in emissions in 2021 was a one-off – and that
Recovery in energy demand an accelerated energy transition contributes to
The report said that a recovery in energy demand global energy security and lower energy prices
in 2021, adverse weather, spikes in natural gas for consumers.
prices and rising coal consumption drove the
increase in emissions, cancelling out the larg- Numbers
est ever growth registered by renewable power Coal accounted for over 40% of the overall
generation. growth in global CO2 emissions in 2021, reach-
The IEA said in January that global electricity ing an all-time high of 15.3bn tonnes.
demand surged by 6% in 2021, the largest per- CO2 emissions from natural gas rebounded
centage increase since 2010. Coal generation well above their 2019 levels to 7.5bn tonnes.
grew by 9%, the highest increase of any fuel, At 10.7bn tonnes, CO2 emissions from oil
accounting for more than half of the increase in remained significantly below pre-pandemic
demand. levels because of the limited recovery in global
Combined with the methane emissions transport activity in 2021, mainly in the aviation

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