IEA: Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions reached a record level in 2023

Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions reached a record high last year, partly due to increased use of fossil fuels in countries where drought has hampered hydropower production, the International Energy Agency said on Friday.

Scientists have warned that carbon dioxide emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels, will need to be significantly reduced in the coming years if goals of limiting global temperature rise and preventing runaway climate change are to be met.

“Instead of declining rapidly, as required to achieve global climate goals set out in the Paris Agreement, carbon dioxide emissions have reached a new record high,” the IEA said in a report.

The agency’s analysis showed that global energy emissions rose by 410 million tons, or 1.1 percent, in 2023 to 37.4 billion tons.

The agency stated in its report that the global expansion of clean technology such as wind, solar energy, and the use of electric cars helped limit the increase in emissions, which reached 1.3 percent in 2022.

But she added that the recovery of the Chinese economy, increased use of fossil fuels in countries with low hydropower production and the recovery of the aviation sector led to an overall rise in emissions.

The report stated that energy-related emissions in the United States decreased by 4.1%, and the largest portion of this decline came from the electricity sector.

In the European Union, energy emissions fell by almost nine percent last year, driven by increased renewable energy generation and a decline in coal and gas generation.

The report also indicated that energy-related emissions in China rose 5.2% in light of the growth in energy demand as the country recovers from closures related to Covid-19.