Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Stall Amid Economic Growth

Countries meeting in Paris for crucial climate talks have received a timely boost as a study revealed global greenhouse gas emissions are expected to stall or even fall slightly in 2015, despite economic growth. The rise in climate change-causing emissions, which had been increasing at an average rate of 2.4 per cent per year over the past decade, slowed to just 0.6 per cent in 2014 and is thought to have fallen by about 0.6 per cent in 2015. This significant slowdown is largely attributed to a drop in coal consumption by China, the world's biggest polluter, as well as increased renewable energy production and lower growth in oil and gas demand.

Key Takeaways:

• Global greenhouse gas emissions grew by just 0.6 per cent in 2014, a significant slowdown from the average annual increase of 2.4 per cent over the past decade.
• Emissions are thought to have fallen by about 0.6 per cent in 2015, according to a study by the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the Global Carbon Project.
• The stalling of emissions comes despite growth of more than three per cent in both years, marking a change from previous drops in global emissions that occurred following economic contractions.
• Developing countries still rely primarily on coal to meet their energy needs, making it unlikely that emissions have peaked for good.
• Cuts in pollution in some rich countries are still "modest at best," according to Professor Corinne Le Quere, director of the Tyndall Centre at UEA.
• Experts warn that global emissions must come down to zero to stabilize the climate and prevent continued temperature rises over the long term.

Statistics:

• Global greenhouse gas emissions growth rate: 2.4 per cent per year (average over the past decade)
• Global greenhouse gas emissions growth rate in 2014: 0.6 per cent
• Global greenhouse gas emissions change in 2015: -0.6 per cent (estimated)
• Economic growth rate in 2014: over three per cent
• Economic growth rate in 2015: over three per cent

Sources:

• University of East Anglia (UEA) and the Global Carbon Project (published in the journal Nature Climate Change)
• Professor Corinne Le Quere, director of the Tyndall Centre at UEA
• Professor Myles Allen, of Oxford University