International Energy Agency released its report on global CO2 emissions, which totaled 33 gigatonnes in 2019.
The figure matched the total global emissions for 2018, which were the highest ever recorded in human history.
In spite of the dire figures, the IEA claimed the findings were ‘grounds for optimism,’ pointing to the fact that total emissions hadn’t risen over all, while the global economy had grown by 2.9 percent, suggesting economic prosperity can continue even with a focus on managing greenhouse gases.
According to IEA Executive Director Faith Birol, the report, ‘is evidence that clean energy transitions are underway – and it’s also a signal that we have the opportunity to meaningfully move the needle on emissions through more ambitious policies and investments.’
The report splits CO2 emissions into two main groups: those from advanced economies, meaning the United States, the European Union, and Japan; and those that come from the rest of the world.
CO2 emissions from the advanced economies dropped from 11.7 gigatonnes in 2018 to 11.3 gigatonnes in 2019.
The US led the reductions with a 140 million ton decline in 2019, a 2.9 percent less than its 2018 emissions, making it the country with the single biggest CO2 reductions in the world.
Countries in the EU collectively cut 160 million tons for a five percent drop.
Japan saw a dip in CO2 emissions by 45 million tons, representing a four percent yearly decline.
According to the IEA, a wide range of factors influenced the declines.
In America coal-powered plants struggled to compete with natural gas prices, which were 45 percent lower in 2019 than in 2018.
At the same time, overall annual electricity consumption declined, which the IEA attributes to warmer average winter temperatures and slightly cooler summer temperatures, meaning less overall heating and air-conditioning.
In many EU countries, declines were attributed to growth in renewable energy sources, like wind power, demand for which increased 11 percent in Germany.
In the UK, renewable energy sources, including wind, solar, and natural gas, accounted for 40 percent of the country’s electricity supply.
Over the last 30 years, the main driver of CO2 has been countries other than the US, EU, and Japan, with emissions rising from 9.2 gigatonnes in 1990 to 22 gigatonnes in 2019, driven largely by India and China.
During the same period, CO2 emissions in the advanced economies of the world have been relatively stable, rising from 11.3 gigatonnes in 1990, peaking at 13 gigatonnes in 2007, and returning to 11.3 gigatonnes in 2019.
‘We now need to work hard to make sure that 2019 is remembered as a definitive peak in global emissions, not just another pause in growth,’ Birol said.
‘We have the energy technologies to do this, and we have to make use of them all.’
‘The IEA is building a grand coalition focused on reducing emissions – encompassing governments, companies, investors and everyone with a genuine commitment to tackling our climate challenge.’
The IEA says it will release another report in June that will propose how global carbon emissions can be cut by a-third by 2025.