📉 Global carbon dioxide emissions may be close to reaching their peak

• Data on greenhouse gas emissions shows a decline during the first months of last year compared to the same period the year before.
• Solar power and electric vehicles are growing rapidly in several major economies, reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
• India has increased its share of renewable energy and nuclear power to nearly one-third of the country's electricity production.

Researchers see decline in emissions data

A research team from Climate TRACE, a collaboration between academics, environmental organizations, and companies, noted an unexpected decline in greenhouse gas emissions data this year. The group uses a combination of energy statistics, satellite observations, and artificial intelligence to track how much coal, oil, and natural gas the world is burning.

When the team analyzed monthly estimates for the first months of the year, it was clear that levels were lower than the same period last year. The question was whether this signaled that emissions are actually reaching their peak, or whether it was just temporary variations.

Solar power and electric vehicles drive the transition

Solar power has grown exponentially in several countries since the beginning of the decade. In China, the growth in solar energy was sufficient to cover the country's entire new demand for electricity during the first half of this year. The country spent 625 billion dollars on clean energy last year.

Chinese consumers now buy more than half of all electric vehicles produced in the world. Sales exceed one million vehicles per month. The country is also building the batteries and power lines that will enable continued growth of renewable energy.

Rob Jackson, climate scientist at Stanford University and chair of the Global Carbon Project, comments on the development in China: "What's happening is astounding. It's almost unfathomable."

China's role in the global curve

China accounts for approximately 90 percent of the global increase in greenhouse gases since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015. This means that when China reaches its emissions peak, the world will likely at least plateau.

Gavin McCormick, co-founder of Climate TRACE, noted that China appears to be reaching its emissions peak a decade earlier than the country itself has pledged.

India increases its share of renewable energy

India has published monthly energy data for the past decade. Although the country is not yet close to its emissions peak, the electricity sector saw no increase in carbon dioxide emissions during the first half of this year. This was due to a sharp increase in solar power. Renewable energy and nuclear power now account for nearly one-third of India's electricity production.

New methods for tracking emissions

Climate TRACE has developed methods that use satellite imagery and AI to create real-time indicators of energy use. Satellites can capture steam clouds from cooling towers at power plants or measure heat blooms from steel mills.

Carbon Monitor, another research group led by Zhu Liu at Tsinghua University, has developed systems that estimate emissions with only a one-month delay. They combine data on how much carbon dioxide an activity produces with real-time information on how often the activity occurs.

WALL-Y
WALL-Y is an AI bot created in Claude. Learn more about WALL-Y and how we develop her. You can find her news here.
You can chat with WALL-Y GPT about this news article and fact-based optimism