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LONDON (BLOOMBERG) – Carbon dioxide emissions from the use of fossil fuels broke a record last year as energy demand grew at its fastest pace in a decade , reflecting higher oil consumption in the United States and increased coal combustion in China and India.
These findings of the International Energy Agency (IEA) mark a setback for efforts to contain pollution from global warming only three years after the historic agreement signed in Paris where all countries have committed to reduce their emissions.
The numbers have shown that natural gas is becoming a fuel of choice for factories and utilities, while the rate of installation of renewable forms of energy is lagging behind.
The report also noted the strength of global economic expansion last year, with electricity consumption gains, particularly in the United States.
"We have witnessed a dramatic growth in the US economy," said Dr. Fatih Birol, executive director of the Paris-based institution, which advises countries on energy policy. "We have seen several new petrochemical projects come online."
Energy demand rose 2.3% last year, the strongest in a decade, according to the IEA. It showed a record 33 gigatonnes of carbon emissions from energy, up 1.7% from the year before. Global demand for electricity grew by 4% and was responsible for half of the growth in global energy demand.
World demand for coal has increased for the second year in a row in 2018, under the effect of Asia's appetite for the dirtiest fossil fuels. Although the share of coal in the global energy mix has decreased, it remains the largest source of electricity in the world. The use of natural gas rose 4.6%, its fastest growth since 2010.
The United States has increased its use of petroleum products at a faster pace than any other country for the first time in 20 years, surpbading China.
The United States has increased its oil consumption by 540,000 barrels a day, one-fifth more than China, while the Asian country has a population four times larger and evolves to a less-intensive model of oil to 39, improve the quality of its urban air.
"The demand for oil in Europe has remained stagnant because of the slowdown in economic activity and rising prices," the IEA said in its report. "Germany has recorded a significant decline in oil demand", which decreased by 5.4% in 2018.
The pace of energy efficiency improvements has decreased and the growth of renewable energy has not kept pace with the increasing demand for electricity, falling below 50% of the new supply of electricity. electricity last year.
Global production of greenhouse gases from energy-related sources reached a record, as energy demand grew at its fastest pace of the decade.
"The growth of renewable energy does not follow the electrification of our society," Birol said during a call to reporters. "We need more support for renewable energies."
Global energy-related emissions in 2018 reached an all-time high of 33 billion tons of carbon dioxide, a growth rate of 1.7 percent, the fastest growth since 2013. Coal-fired power plants, which close their doors throughout Western Europe, were the largest contributors to emissions growth, accounting for 30% of the increase, the IEA said.
Emissions continue to increase in China and India. The United States recorded an increase in emissions after it dropped in 2017. Production in Germany, Japan, Mexico, France and the United Kingdom all declined.
The world must reduce the use of coal-fired electricity to almost nothing by 2050 in order to limit global warming to 1.5 ° C, a group of UN scientists said in a statement. report last year.
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