Global emissions to rebound in 2021 – IEA
Emerging markets are driving energy demand back to 2019 levels, with coal offsetting renewables growth
Global annual energy-related CO2 emissions are set to rebound by 5pc, to just over 33 bn t in 2021, only slightly less than 2019 levels, according to the IEA’s global energy review. The rebound comes despite efforts by the US and the EU to embed clean energy measures in Covid-19 stimulus packages, and is largely driven by coal use in emerging economies. “Economic recovery from Covid crisis unsustainable for climate” Birol, IEA And the situation is likely to continue in 2022 unless governments around the world move rapidly to start cutting emissions, according to IEA executive director Fatih Birol. “This is a dire warning that the economic recovery from the Covid crisis is currently a

Also in this section
22 July 2025
Africa’s most populous nation puts cap-and-trade and voluntary markets at the centre of its emerging strategy to achieve net zero by 2060
17 July 2025
Oil and gas companies will face penalties if they fail to reach the EU’s binding CO₂ injection targets for 2030, but they could also risk building underused and unprofitable CCS infrastructure
9 July 2025
Latin American country plans a cap-and-trade system and supports the scale-up of CCS as it prepares to host COP30
3 July 2025
European Commission introduces new flexibilities for member states to ease compliance with headline goal