MERCHANDISER
CO2 Emissions From Fossil-Fuels Reach Record
GLOBAL CO2 EMISSIONS from fossil-fuel combustion reached a record high of 31.6 gigatonnes (Gt) in 2011,
according to preliminary estimates from the International Energy Agency (IEA). This represents an increase of 1.0 Gt on 2010 (3.2%). Coal accounted for 45% of total energy-related CO2
emissions in 2011, followed by oil (35%) and natural gas
(20%). The 450 Scenario of the IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2011,
which sets out an energy pathway consistent with a 50% chance of limiting the increase in the average global temperature to 2°C, requires CO2
emissions to peak at 32.6
Gt no later than 2017, i.e. just 1.0 Gt above 2011 levels. The 450 Scenario sees a de-coupling of CO2
emissions from global
GDP, but much still needs to be done to reach that goal as the rate of growth in CO2
emissions in 2011 exceeded that
of global GDP. “The new data provide further evidence that the door to a 2°C trajectory is about to close,” says IEA Chief Economist Fatih Birol. In 2011, a 6.1% increase in CO2 emissions in countries outside the OECD was only partly offset by a 0.6% reduction in emissions inside the OECD. China made the largest contribution to the global increase, with its emissions rising by 720 Mt (9.3%), primarily due to higher coal consumption. “What China has done over such a
short period of time to improve energy efficiency and deploy clean energy is already paying major dividends to the global environment,” said Birol. China’s carbon intensity fell by 15% between 2005 and 2011. Had these gains not been made, China’s CO2 emissions in 2011 would have been higher by 1.5 Gt. India’s emissions rose by 140 Mt,
or 8.7%, moving it ahead of Russia to become the fourth largest emitter behind China, the USA, and the EU. Despite these increases, per-capita CO2
emissions
in China and India still remain just 63% and 15% of the OECD average respectively. CO2
emissions in the US fell by 92 Mt (1.7%), primarily
due to ongoing switching from coal to natural gas in power generation and an exceptionally mild winter, which reduced the demand for space heating. US emissions have now fallen by 430 Mt (7.7%) since 2006, the largest reduction of all countries or regions. This is as a consequence of lower oil use in the transport sector (linked to efficiency improvements, higher oil prices and the economic downturn which has cut vehicle miles travelled) and a substantial shift from coal to gas in the power sector. CO2
emissions in the EU in 2011
were lower by 69 Mt (1.9%) as sluggish economic growth cut industrial production and a relatively warm winter reduced
24 June 2012
heating needs. By contrast, Japan’s emissions increased by 28 Mt (2.4%) as a result of a substantial increase in the use of fossil fuels in power generation post-Fukushima. Emissions in India and China are set to rise as Asia-Pacific
region faces mounting challenges in tackling climate change, water scarcity, species extinction and hazardous waste as its economy forges ahead, a UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report has warned. The region needs to improve governance structures and accountability and scale up successful policy initiatives to achieve sustainable development. By 2030, China and India would account for more than
half of transport-related emissions worldwide, which was projected to increase by 57% from the 2005 level, it said. The Asia-Pacific region was also
under growing pressure on bio-diversity, as government efforts lag behind the extent of habitat loss and degradation, over exploitation, alien species invasion, climate change and pollution, it added. Unsustainable growth, population
growth, rapid urbanisation and consumption will increase the impacts on the region’s environment, according to the 5th
edition of the Global
Environment Outlook report released by the UNEP in Beijing. Under a Business as Usual scenario, the
Asia-Pacific was expected to contribute approximately 45% of global energy- related CO2
emissions by 2030 and an
estimated 60% by 2100, says the report. At the same time, UNEP urged
Asia-Pacific nations to foster changes of consumption patterns to reduce waste, step up controls on chemicals production and use and improve management of contaminants. The report highlights promising examples
in finding sustainable solutions to those environmental problems. These include the reduction and removal of fossil fuel subsidies, pledges of GHG emission reductions, water- use quotas, and pricing reform and payment for ecosystem services. “If scaled-up and accelerated, such measures could assist in a transition to a green economy as nations across the globe prepare for the Rio+20 summit later this month,” the report says. China has promised to cut carbon dioxide emissions
per unit of gross domestic product by 40 to 45% by 2020 compared to 2005 levels. It is implementing some of the largest payments for ecosystem services schemes in the world, spending more than US$15 bn in converting cropland to forest and grasslands since 1999 and over US$2 bn in paying local governments and communities to protect key forest areas, the report said. •
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