Global Electricity Production Is Roaring Back—and So Are CO2 Emissions
July 17, 2021 at 12:03AM Carbon emissions from power plants around the world declined in recent years, but they’re poised to make a dramatic comeback over the next 18 months, according to a worrying report released July 15 by the International Energy Agency (IEA). https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/cQ7Ua/2/ COVID-19 lockdowns were responsible for some of the recent decline, as office buildings , for instance, reduced their energy consumption while employees were working remotely. After shrinking by 1% in 2019, CO2 emissions from power generation fell by another 3.5% around the world during COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, part of a broader contraction in emissions during that period. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] But as economies recover, global power consumption is set to erase those reductions, with electricity demand expected to increase by 5% in 2021 and 4% in 2022, per the IEA report. Expanded development of renewable energy sources like wind and solar power will make up ...