Global Carbon Emissions Reach Record High Despite Slower Growth Rate
Global carbon dioxide emissions hit a new record high in 2019, rising 0.6 percent from the previous year. Researchers warn that emissions will continue to climb for another decade without dramatic changes to global energy and transportation systems.
Global carbon dioxide emissions reach a new record high in 2019, rising 0.6 percent over last year's levels according to the Global Carbon Project. While this continued increase brings extreme weather, rising oceans, and costly disasters, researchers note that the growth rate slows significantly compared to the 2.1 percent jump seen in 2018. Stanford scientist Rob Jackson emphasizes that slower growth still represents a dangerous failure to reduce overall pollution.
The decline of coal use worldwide provides a small silver lining, but this progress is offset by a rapid climb in the consumption of natural gas and oil. Fossil fuels account for over 90 percent of all global emissions, meaning that the shift away from coal simply replaces one carbon-heavy source with another. This energy transition keeps total atmospheric carbon dioxide climbing instead of dropping.
Researchers warn that without dramatic action to transform energy, transportation, and industry, emissions continue to rise for at least another decade. Affluent nations maintain stubbornly high per capita emissions, requiring wealthier countries to make deep cuts to offset the growing energy needs of developing nations. Jackson states that wealthier nations must cut their emissions faster than poorer countries increase theirs to see any actual global decline.