CO2 Emissions in 2022

CO2 Emissions in 2022: Growth Lower than Feared

Key Findings:

• Global Energy-Related CO2 Emissions:

  • Total Emissions: Increased by 0.9% or 321 Mt to reach 36.8 Gt.
  • Breakdown: Emissions from energy combustion grew by 423 Mt, while emissions from industrial processes decreased by 102 Mt.

• GDP Decoupling:

  • CO2 growth was significantly lower than global GDP growth (+3.2%), reverting to a long-term trend of decoupling emissions and economic growth.

• Regional Trends:

  • North America and Asia (excluding China): Saw increases in CO2 emissions.
  • Europe and China: Experienced reductions in CO2 emissions.
  • Asia’s Emerging Market and Developing Economies: Emissions grew by 4.2% or 206 Mt CO2, primarily due to coal-fired power generation.

• Sectoral Breakdown:

  • Electricity and Heat Generation: Emissions grew by 1.8% or 261 Mt, with significant increases in coal emissions (2.1% or 243 Mt).
  • Oil: Emissions rose by 2.5% or 268 Mt to 11.2 Gt.
  • Natural Gas: Emissions fell by 1.6% or 118 Mt.
  • Coal: Despite reductions in natural gas, emissions increased by 1.6% or 243 Mt.
  • Electric Vehicles: Contributed to a decrease in oil emissions, with over 10 million EVs sold.
  • Renewables: Met 90% of the global growth in electricity generation, with solar PV and wind generation each increasing by around 275 TWh.

• Sectoral Emission Changes:

  • Buildings Sector: Saw the highest emissions growth, driven by extreme temperatures.
  • Industrial Sector: Declined by 1.7% to 9.2 Gt, mainly due to a 161 Mt decrease in China’s industrial emissions.
  • European Union: Experienced a 2.5% or 70 Mt reduction in CO2 emissions, despite disruptions and drought.
  • United States: Emissions grew by 0.8% or 36 Mt, with significant growth in the buildings sector and reductions in electricity and heat generation.

• Emerging Market and Developing Economies:

  • Emissions increased by 4.2% or 206 Mt CO2, primarily from coal-fired power generation.

• Other Observations:

  • Extreme Weather: Contributed to a 60 Mt increase in emissions due to cooling and heating demands.
  • Nuclear Power Plants: Offline, contributing to a 55 Mt increase in emissions.
  • Wind and Solar PV: Combined to exceed gas and nuclear power generation for the first time.

Conclusion:

The report highlights that despite the exceptional turbulence caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, energy price shocks, and disruptions to traditional fuel trade flows, global CO2 emissions growth was lower than expected. The continued deployment of clean energy technologies played a crucial role in preventing further emissions growth, although coal emissions remained high. The report is part of the IEA’s new series, the Global Energy Transitions Stocktake, which aims to consolidate the latest analysis for the upcoming COP 28.