After an unexpected drop caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, global energy-related CO2 emissions began to rise again in mid 2020, after the first wave of the pandemic, and then continued to rebound for the rest of the year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned on Tuesday 2 March.
In December 2020, these emissions increased by 2% compared to the same month of the previous year, according to the IEA report.
This rebound is mainly explained by the resumption of travel and economic activity, which is leading to a strong return of oil consumption.
“If expectations of a global economic rebound are confirmed – and without major policy changes in the largest economies – global emissions are expected to increase in 2021”, said Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the Agency.
Over the year 2020 as a whole, global emissions fell by nearly 2 billion tonnes (-5.8%), according to the IEA, the largest absolute drop in history, mainly due to the decrease in oil use for road transport and aviation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
See the report: http://bit.ly/3e2s2J0 (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)