Energy-related emissions stall as renewable energy surges

WASHINGTON, March 24, 2016 - Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) stayed flat for the second year in a row, according to analysis of preliminary data for 2015 recently released by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Global emissions of carbon dioxide totaled 32.1 billion tons in 2015, having remained essentially flat since 2013, says IEA.

Preliminary data suggest that electricity generated by renewables played a critical role, having accounted for around 90 percent of new electricity generation in 2015. Wind alone produced more than half of new electricity generation, IEA says.

The global economy continued to grow by more than 3 percent, offering further evidence that the link between economic growth and emissions growth is weakening, says IEA.

The two largest emitters, China and the U.S., both registered a decline in energy-related CO2 in 2015. In China, says IEA, emissions declined by 1.5 percent, as coal use dropped for the second year in a row, while in the U.S. emissions declined by 2 percent, as a large switch from coal to natural gas use in electricity generation took place.  Annual energy-related CO2 emissions data can be found here

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