Global Economic Crisis Could not Stop Emissions Growth

A study from Norwegian and Newzealand scientists provides updated number of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels. While the global financial crisis may have slowed down the emission growth, it has not been sufficient enough to stop it. From 2007 to 2008 global emissions from fossil fuels increased by 2.2 %. From 2003 to 2007, the average fossil emissions increased by
3.7 % a year.

According to study published in Environment Research Letters, coal in 2006 has bypassed oil as the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions. Emissions from gas and oil have had a rather constant growth since 1990. Coal is now the driver of the strong fossil fuel Carbon dioxide emission growth.

The growth rate of emissions has been a slightly higher in India the last two years. For the first time India's emissions now increase faster than the Chinese emissions.

According to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a large reduction of fossil emissions is required to reduce global warming. The concentration of CO2 in atmosphere has been increased from 280 ppm in 1750 to 383 ppm in 2007. Around 75 % of the increase until now is due to carbon dioxide emissions from fossil energy. 25 % is due to changes in land use.

All main IPCC scenarios of fossil fuel Carbon dioxide emissions show an increase over the next few decades with a large spread in emissions estimates upto 2100. And this increasing trend is driven by enhanced economic growth.