Global Fossil Fuel Use And Emissions Hit Record Highs

The world consumed record amounts of oil, coal, and gas last year, pushing planet-heating carbon pollution to a new high, according to a report published, shattering climate scientists’ hopes that global energy emissions may have peaked, Laura Paddison reported for CNN.

Even though the world is adding clean, renewable energy at record levels, global energy demand is growing so fast that fossil fuels are filling the gaps.

The growth in fossil fuels drove a 2.1% increase in energy-related emissions last year, pushing them above 40 billion metric tons for the first time, according to the report published by the Energy Institute.

The report paints a bleak picture of a world struggling to wean itself off planet-warming fossil fuels even as the impacts of the climate crisis become more intense and more deadly.

The report also shows that even though the world is adding clean, renewable energy at record levels, global energy demand is growing so fast that fossil fuels are filling the gaps.

Last year was “another year of highs in our energy-hungry world,” said Juliet Davenport, president of the Energy Institute.

“Energy is central to human progress,” she added. “It is also now central to our very survival.” Global consumption of oil, coal, and gas rose by 1.5% in 2023, driven in particular by strong growth in oil.

Last year, the world consumed more than 100 million barrels a day for the first time, the report found. The US remained the largest oil producer, growing its output by 8% last year.