KATHMANDU, March 3: In the year 2022, the maximum amount of carbon dioxide was emitted into the atmosphere. The emissions were the highest since 1900. Carbon dioxide emissions rose that year due to a resurgence in air travel following the Covid-19 pandemic and heavy use of relatively low-cost coal globally.
Carbon dioxide is considered a major factor in global warming. In 2022, 36.8 gigatons of carbon dioxide were emitted into the atmosphere due to a 0.9 percent increase in energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, according to a report released by the International Energy Agency (IEA) on Thursday. One gigaton is equal to one billion metric tons.
According to scientists, this gas absorbs heat, and as it is released into the atmosphere, temperatures increase. Due to excessive carbon dioxide emissions, it is believed that the incidence of extreme climatic events in the world increased last year. Due to a decrease in water flow caused by last year's drought, mineral fuel usage for electricity increased when hydropower production decreased. Meanwhile, the demand for electricity for cooling increased due to heatwaves in different parts of the world.
Report: Record high sea levels in 2017
According to the report titled 'CO2 Emissions in 2022' published by the agency on Thursday, the emission of energy-related greenhouse gases also increased by 1 percent, and a total of 41.3 gigatons of carbon dioxide were emitted. Greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, have a major role in increasing the temperature of the earth.
According to the report, coal emissions increased by 1.6 percent, and oil emissions increased by 2.5 percent in 2022. Methane emissions, considered one of the greenhouse gases, also reached a record high last year, the agency said. Similarly, the use of aviation fuel increased by 2.5 percent last year due to the rise in demand for air transport worldwide. Carbon dioxide emissions are expected to increase that year due to rising energy prices resulting from the Ukraine war, skyrocketing inflation, and disruptions to conventional fuel trade flows.
Although carbon dioxide emissions set a record last year, the increase in the global use of renewable energy, electric vehicles, and cooling heat pumps has helped to control the growth rate of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the IEA. Similarly, it has been found that there has been an increase in the production and use of wind and solar energy last year.
Last year, Europe was found to have produced and used too much of this type of energy. It is seen that in China, the world's largest carbon emitter, the production and emission of carbon have remained stable last year.
According to the report, the reduction in China's emissions is due to strict provisions adopted to control Covid-19, the slowdown in physical construction, and the reduction in industrial and transportation emissions. Similarly, the second-highest emitting country, the United States, increased its emissions by 0.8 percent last year due to the excessive use of natural gas. In regional terms, Asia has the highest carbon emissions of 4.3 percent.
According to the International Energy Agency, the use of coal is high due to the rise in natural gas prices in Asia, especially due to the Russia-Ukraine war. "Without the use of clean energy, carbon emissions could have tripled," said IEA's executive director, Fatih Birol, in a statement. He said that the world needs to control carbon emissions to achieve climate change goals.
The Earth's temperature has risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Although the Paris agreement on climate change aims to keep the global temperature rise within 1.5 to 2 degrees centigrade by the end of this century, it is, according to scientists, impossible to achieve this goal. "Due to excessive use of fossil fuels, it is difficult to achieve the goals of climate change," said Birol, the executive director of the agency.
