Posted on 12 Dec 2024
Morning Brief: According to the latest data from the Emissions Database of Global Atmospheric Research, global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2023 reached 53 gigatonnes (Gt) of CO2-equivalent (except land use, land use change and forestry). The 2023 data represent the highest level recorded, an increase of 1.9% or 994 million tonnes (mnt) of CO2e compared to 2022 levels.
With emissions increasing at such a phenomenal pace, the goals of the Paris Agreement seem to be receding farther with every passing year.
China, the USA, India, the EU27, Russia and Brazil were the world's largest GHG emitters in 2023. Together they account for 49.8% of the global population, 63.2% of global gross domestic product, 64.2% of global fossil fuel consumption and 62.7% of global GHG emissions, according to the European Commission.
With only two notable exceptions, 2009 (global financial crisis) and 2020 (COVID-19), global GHG emissions have grown at a fast pace since the beginning of the 21st century, due largely to the increase in fossil CO2 emissions by China, India, and other emerging economies.
Energy-related emissions
Of course, unabated fossil fuel use is the key trigger behind emissions globally. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global energy-related CO2 emissions grew 1.1% in 2023, increasing 410 mnt to reach a new record high of 37.4 Gt. This compares with an increase of 490 mnt in 2022 (1.3%). Emissions from coal accounted for more than 65% of the increase in 2023.
Therefore, energy-related emissions comprise over 70% of total global emissions. As per the IEA, between 2019 and 2023, total energy-related emissions increased around 900 mnt. Without the growing deployment of clean energy technologies since 2019 -- solar PV, wind, nuclear, heat pumps, and electric cars -- the emissions growth would have been three times higher.
Blame it on coal
IEA data show that coal has been the key driver of the increase in global CO2 emissions in the post-pandemic era. Global emissions from energy combustion have increased by around 850 mnt since 2019; those from coal have grown by 900 mnt, gas emissions have increased moderately, and oil emissions are still slightly below their 2019 level.
Coal accounted for around 70% of the increase in global emissions from energy combustion in 2023 (+270 mnt). China and India saw substantial increases in emissions from coal combustion, only partially offset by declines in advanced economies.
Where does India stand?
The Indian economy witnessed rapid growth in 2023, expanding by 6.7%. Emissions grew faster than GDP, at slightly more than 7%, rising around 190 mnt to reach 2.8 Gt. However, India's per capita emissions remain very low, at around 2 t, less than half the world average of 4.6 t.
According to the non-profit World Resources Institute (WRI), India surpassed the European Union in total annual GHG emissions in 2019 becoming the third-largest emitting country after China and the USA. But this data tells only part of the story.
India's population is nearly three times larger than that of the EU, so based on emissions per person, India ranks much lower among the world's national emitters. This is just one of many ways to compare the responsibility of each country in bringing about climate change, as well as the responsibility of mitigating this planetary crisis.
Source:BigMint
