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Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions stop growing

Oil&Gas Materials 11 February 2020 13:23 (UTC +04:00)
Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions stop growing

BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb.11

By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:

After two years of growth, global emissions were unchanged at 33 gigatonnes in 2019, Trend reports citing the International Energy Agency (IEA).

IEA says this was primarily due to declining emissions from electricity generation in advanced economies, thanks to the expanding role of renewable sources (mainly wind and solar), fuel switching from coal to natural gas, and higher nuclear power generation.

Other factors included milder weather in several countries, and slower economic growth in some emerging markets, according to the UEA report.

“A significant decrease in emissions in advanced economies in 2019 offset continued growth elsewhere. The United States recorded the largest emissions decline on a country basis, with a fall of 140 million tonnes, or 2.9 percent. US emissions are now down by almost 1 gigatonne from their peak in 2000. Emissions in the European Union fell by 160 million tonnes, or 5 percent, in 2019 driven by reductions in the power sector. Natural gas produced more electricity than coal for the first time ever, meanwhile wind-powered electricity nearly caught up with coal-fired electricity. Japan’s emissions fell by 45 million tonnes, or around 4 percent, the fastest pace of decline since 2009, as output from recently restarted nuclear reactors increased. Emissions in the rest of the world grew by close to 400 million tonnes in 2019, with almost 80 percent of the increase coming from countries in Asia where coal-fired power generation continued to rise,” reads the report.

Across advanced economies, emissions from the power sector declined to levels last seen in the late 1980s, when electricity demand was one-third lower than today, said IEA.

Coal-fired power generation in advanced economies declined by nearly 15 percent as a result of growth in renewables, coal-to-gas switching, a rise in nuclear power and weaker electricity demand, according to the report.

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