Reducing emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases (GHG) like carbon dioxide and methane is crucial to tackling climate change. But despite a flurry of climate pledges,
have continued to rise and reached a new high of 53 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO₂e) in 2023. Global CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels are also projected to have hit a record high in 2023, while annual
are now more than 50 percent above pre-industrial levels.
Global CO₂ emissions trends
CO₂ is the primary GHG emitted through human activities and the largest contributor to climate change.
Global CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel have increased by more than 60 percent since 1990, to more than 37 GtCO₂ per year. In 2021 alone, emissions grew roughly five percent year-on-year, owing to the rapid economic rebound from the 2020 COVID-19 crisis. There had initially been fears that emissions would continue to rise at a similar pace in 2022, but factors such as
clean energy growth and
increased electric vehicle deployment partially offset the impacts of increased coal and oil use amid the global energy crisis.
Who are the world’s biggest emitters?
China was responsible for around 31 percent of global fossil fuel CO₂ emissions in 2022, making it the
world’s biggest carbon polluter by far. Since 1990, the Asian country’s
CO₂ emissions have increased by more than 400 percent, owing to rapid industrialization and economic growth. A similar pattern has been observed in other developing countries, such as India. By comparison, emissions in the U.S., the second-biggest emitter, have fallen by roughly three percent since 1990. Several European countries, such as the UK and Germany, have also achieved overall emissions reductions during this period, partly due to the phasing out of coal. Nevertheless, the U.S. and Europe are the two
biggest contributors to historical emissions, with the U.S. alone producing more than 500 GtCO₂ since 1850 from fossil fuels and land use.
Emissions need to be cut more rapidly
According to the
IPCC’s sixth annual report, global emissions need to be cut by at least 43 percent from 2019 levels by 2030 to keep global temperatures within the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit. However, if CO₂ emissions continue at their current rate, the
remaining carbon budget is expected to be used up within five years. As such, a rapid acceleration in emission cuts is needed. Proven technologies like wind and solar PV are expected to account for the largest share of
cumulative emissions savings from 2022 to 2050 under the IEA’s Net Zero Scenario, while technologies in early adoption, like carbon removal and carbon capture, are also expected to play a crucial role in limiting global temperatures.
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