Emissions from fossil fuels will increase by almost 1 percent this year, the IEA said on Wednesday, which is part of the increase from last year. The strong spread of renewable energies and the use of electric cars are preventing a much stronger increase.
An IEA analysis shows that CO2 emissions will increase by about 300 million tons to 33.8 billion tons this year – a smaller increase from the nearly 2 billion tons jump in 2021 caused by the rapid recovery after the Corona crisis. This year’s increase was driven by the revival of the electricity generation and aviation sector.
The IEA says demand for oil will increase faster than any other fossil fuel in 2022, with oil-related CO2 emissions increasing by about 180 million tons. The main reason for this is the transportation sector, as travel restrictions due to the pandemic period have been lifted. Aviation is expected to be responsible for about three-quarters of the increase in emissions from oil.
“The global energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted many countries to look to other energy sources to replace the gas supply held by Russia,” said Fatih Birol, IEA Director.
The encouraging news is that while the sun and wind fill most of the gap, the increase in coal seems relatively small and temporary. “This means that CO2 emissions are rising much less rapidly this year than some fear, and government policies are creating real structural changes in the energy industry.”
(SDA)