Emissions could decline by 0.6 percent in 2015, a departure from a decade of growing 2.4 percent per year.
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The tantalizing prospect that global economic growth may finally be decoupling from the rate countries are emitting greenhouse gases is reason enough for hopeful speculation. In other words: Emissions and economic growth have decoupled, at least in the past two years.
The researchers attributed the recent slowing and decrease in emissions to three factors: less coal use in China (the biggest factor), slower global growth of petroleum, and faster growth of renewables.
Industrial emissions of greenhouse gases rose only slightly in 2014 and appear to be on track to decline in 2015, according to new data that raise the possibility a period of rapid global emissions growth may be coming to an end. The goal is to prevent global temperatures from rising by more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over historical averages. “It is the concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that matter for climate, and those continue to grow as long as emissions are positive”. China is the world’s largest polluter with 21.1% share followed by the U.S., which accounts for 13% of global carbon emissions.
“If nationally and internationally we are talking about reduction of carbon emissions, in our case, we have coal-fired plants and they produce lots of carbon”, says Mahmood.
“It’s still too early to tell whether we are now starting to control Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but any good news for our climate is welcome”. “CO2 will keep marching upwards”. Now fossil fuels and industry emissions alone amount to 35 billion tonnes. “Our climate worries remain very much intact”.
The research reveals that emissions could decline by 0.6 per cent this year.
The Chinese government has vowed that emissions will stop growing by about 2030, although the recent slowdown has convinced more scientists that a peak by about 2025 is feasible. Indian officials have also said they plan to invest heavily in solar energy.
Installed wind capacity reached 370 gigawatts (GW) last year, including 51GW of newly installed capacity last year, the study said. The outcome of the climate talks may guide which types of energy projects are able to raise capital in a more carbon conscious economy. The increase in Indian emissions in 2014 was the same as the decrease in European Union emissions.
By putting less emphasis on steel manufacturing and construction and placing a 2020 cap on coal emissions, “China, at the moment, is shifting to this new normal”, said Peters.
Even if global emissions haven’t peaked, there’s no disputing that 2015 is one for the history books. Still, it reverses a relentless increase the world has experienced over the past few years. “Global emissions need to decrease to near zero to achieve climate stabilization”.
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India was the fourth largest emitter overall in in 2014, with its emissions now matching those of China’s in 1990.
