Carbon emissions to soar in 2021
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Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are forecast to rise by the second largest annual amount on record, as global economies pour stimulus cash into fossil fuels to aid recovery from the Covid-19 recession
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GLOBAL ENERGY-RELATED CO2 EMISSIONS, 1990-2021
(Billion tonnes of CO2)

40 30 20 0
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020

IEA warns economic rebound from Covid-19 could be “anything but sustainable” for climate 

2021 forecast: 33bn tonnes. Up 1.5bn tonnes from 2020 – rise of 4.8% due to resurgence of coal, especially in Asia
       
2009: 28.7bn tonnes. Global financial crisis

2010: 30.4bn tonnes. Emissions surge by 5.9% from 2009 as countries use cheap fossil fuel energy to stimulate economic recovery after financial crisis

2019: 33.4bn tonnes

2020: 31.5bn tonnes. Emissions plunge by record 5.8% from 2019 as power use drops due to pandemic

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ANNUAL CHANGE OF CO2 EMISSIONS BY FUEL

2 1 0 -1 -2

Gas Oil Coal
Global financial crisis
Covid-19 pandemic

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Source: IEA Global Energy Review 2021
Picture: Getty Images
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