by Tina Schubert
Share
by Tina Schubert
Share
Global carbon emissions from the power sector jumped to a record last year as the recovery from the pandemic boosted electricity demand and utilities burned more coal amid a gas crunch, think tank Ember said.
“We still haven’t reached that step where the increase in electricity demand is being met with clean electricity,” said Dave Jones, a global electricity analyst at Ember. “Therefore, fossil generation is increasing. And that has been predominantly coal.”
Ember’s analysis for 2021 includes data from 75 countries that make up about 93% of the world’s electricity generation.
Solar and wind power generation grew a combined 17% in 2021, which also marked the first time that those sources accounted for at least 10% of global power generation. The total amount of electricity demand is growing too, and fossil fuels, particularly coal, saw a major rebound last year after dropping during the pandemic.
Coal-fired power generation last year rose more than 4% compared with 2019. Renewable energy sources will need to increase at least 20% a year for global climate goals to remain on track, Jones said.
Much of the increase in coal power and emissions came from Asia, the data show. In Europe, the growth of new renewable capacity started to displace expensive gas plants, rather than coal ones, undermining the region’s plans to ditch the polluting fuel.
STAY IN THE LOOP
Subscribe to our free newsletter.
After the Bell: The way people misunderstand renewable power is shocking (Image: iStock) By Tim Cohen Follow 13 Dec 2022 2 I can’t get away from the feeling that the constant, relentless defence of coal has a larger agenda somewhere behind it. Listen to this article 0:00 / 6:23 1X BeyondWords How do we comprehend the resistance among […]
Opinion: Koeberg life extension could flip switch on half a trillion rands of economic damage Graphic showing coal capacity factors and loadshedding 24TH NOVEMBER 2022 ARTICLE ENQUIRY SAVE THIS ARTICLE EMAIL THIS ARTICLE FONT SIZE: –+ In this opinion article, energy analyst and commentator Clyde Mallinson warns that, against the backdrop of persistent and erratic loadshedding, the economic cost of shutting the Koeberg nuclear plant for […]
A New Barefoot GuideFrom the Agroecology Series My Food is African Healthy soil, safe foods and diverse diets Télécharger – Français Download – E A New Barefoot Guide From the Agroecology Series My Food is African Healthy soil, safe foods and diverse diets Télécharger – Français Download – English A publication of The Alliance […]
> This edition | The voluntary carbon markets, explained in three figures Read the last Dispatch | The dark matter of the emissions universe Next Dispatch | What to do when portfolios hit the “value-carbon frontier” Share Tweet Forward Carbon is a new global currency. If we're serious about stopping climate […]