The International Energy Agency (IEA) is calling for more speed for the energy transition, as global carbon dioxide emissions from energy production remain at record levels. Global energy-related CO2 emissions rose by 2022.0 percent or 9 million tonnes in 321 and reached a peak of over 36.8 billion tonnes, the IEA said in Paris on Thursday. In order to achieve climate and energy targets, increased measures for the transition to clean energies are necessary. In 2021, the increase in CO2 emissions worldwide was still six percent.
"The effects of the energy crisis have not led to the initially feared sharp increase in global emissions – thanks to the outstanding growth of renewable energy, electric vehicles, heat pumps and energy-efficient technologies," said IEA Director Fatih Birol. Without clean energy, the increase in CO2 emissions would have been almost three times as high. "However, we are still seeing an increase in fossil fuel emissions, hampering efforts to meet global climate goals."
International and national companies working with fossil fuels are making record sales and must take their share of responsibility - in line with their promises to meet climate targets, the IEA chief demanded. "It is crucial that they review their strategies to ensure that they are geared towards meaningful emission reductions."
Before Fridays for Future's global climate strike this Friday, activist Luisa Neubauer accused the governing coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP of being too hesitant about climate protection. "Instead of a coalition of progress, we are currently experiencing a standstill coalition," she said in the podcast "Stand der Dinge". Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) also sees Neubauer in the duty: "On the power word of the Chancellor to the climate crisis, to get started properly - we are waiting for that until today." So little is happening, so much is being blocked. This is fatal. Fridays for Future is planning more than 230 campaigns throughout Germany, in over 40 cities together with Verdi. The union called for warning strikes that day.
For Germany, Fridays for Future demands, among other things, a coal phase-out by 2030, 100 percent renewable energy supply by 2035 as well as the immediate end of subsidies for fossil fuels and a stop to the expansion of motorways.
CO2 emissions from coal rose by 1.6 percent last year, according to the IEA, as the global energy crisis triggered a switch from gas to coal in Asia and, to a lesser extent, Europe. Natural gas emissions fell by 1.6 percent as supply became scarce after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and European companies and citizens struggled to reduce their gas consumption.
CO2 emissions from oil rose even more than those from coal, namely by 2.5 percent. However, they still remained below pre-pandemic levels. About half of the year-on-year increase in oil emissions came from air travel, which continued to recover from the pandemic, according to the IEA.
In China, carbon dioxide emissions remained largely unchanged in 2022, as strict Covid-19 measures and declining construction activity would have led to weaker economic growth and fewer emissions from industry and transport. In the EU, emissions fell by 2.5 percent, as the record use of renewable energy had contributed to the fact that coal consumption was not as high as observers had expected. A mild start to the European winter and energy-saving measures in response to the Russian invasion also contributed.
In the United States, emissions increased by 0.8 percent as the energy consumption of buildings increased due to extreme temperatures. Excluding China, emissions in emerging and developing Asia increased by 4.2 percent, reflecting rapid economic growth and higher energy demand, according to the IEA.