Carbon emissions from energy rose in 2017, says International Energy Agency
Paris — Harmful carbon emissions from energy rose in 2017 for the first time in three years, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Thursday, proof that the world’s efforts to fight climate change are falling short. Strong economic growth pushed global energy demand up by 2.1% last year, the Paris-based IEA said in a report. Some 70% of those additional needs were met by fossil fuels oil, gas and coal, pushing global energy-related carbon emissions up by 1.4%, after three years of remaining flat. The rest was covered mostly by renewables. "The significant growth in global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2017 tells us that current efforts to combat climate change are far from sufficient," IEA executive director Fatih Birol said in a statement. "For example, there has been a dramatic slowdown in the rate of improvement in global energy efficiency as policy makers have put less focus in this area." But the overall increase in carbon dioxide emissions masked major impr...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.