Despite COVID-19, Carbon Dioxide Emissions Hit Record High... Led by China and India

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[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Hyung-gil] Last year, carbon dioxide emissions in the energy and industrial sectors worldwide reached an all-time high. Compared to the pre-COVID-19 period, carbon dioxide emissions increased, indicating that economic recovery during the pandemic was based on carbon-intensive growth.

According to the Global Energy Review released on the 10th by the International Energy Agency (IEA), carbon dioxide emissions from the global energy sector and industrial processes reached a record high of 36.3 Gt, a 6% increase from the previous year.

This figure is 1.9 Gt higher than in 2020, when carbon dioxide emissions had decreased due to the spread of COVID-19, and 180 Mt more than in 2019, before the pandemic.

The IEA pointed out, "To ensure that the rebound in global carbon emissions is not a one-time phenomenon, we must accelerate the development and adoption of clean energy technologies and increase sustainable investments to reduce carbon dioxide emissions this year." It added, "Efforts must be made to reduce global net carbon dioxide emissions to zero by 2050."

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By country, carbon dioxide emissions increased significantly in Brazil, India, and China.

Emissions in Brazil and India rose by more than 10%, while the United States and the European Union (EU) each saw increases of about 7%, and China’s emissions increased by more than 5%. Japan’s emissions increased by less than 1%.

India’s increase was attributed to the rise in coal-fired power generation, and China’s increase was analyzed to be due to higher emissions in the energy sector and industrial processes.

On the other hand, the IEA noted that although emissions from industrial production in advanced countries have returned to pre-pandemic levels, the effect of emission reductions due to structural changes in the energy sector has begun to appear in earnest.

In particular, China’s per capita carbon dioxide emissions reached 8.4 tons, surpassing the advanced countries’ average of 8.2 tons.

Until now, about 56% of the increase in China’s total electricity demand was met by coal, and last year, coal-fired power generation increased by 8.6% compared to the previous year, reaching 5030 TWh. This accounted for 62% of total power generation, indicating that electricity demand was met mainly by coal.

Kim Hae-ji, a senior researcher at the Korea Energy Economics Institute, pointed out, "The rebound in global carbon dioxide emissions was led by China," adding, "From 2019 to 2021, China’s increase in emissions greatly exceeded the global emission levels, and its per capita emissions have surpassed the average of advanced countries."

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