CO₂ emissions
Carbon emissions from energy use fell by 6.3%, to their lowest level since 2011. As with primary energy, this was the largest decline since the end of World War II
Until last year, carbon emissions had continued their unrelenting rise, broadly in line with the policy intentions that had been declared prior to the Paris meeting. Importantly, there was no sign of the decisive shift envisaged by the ‘less than 2˚C’ purple scenario.
The COVID-induced fall in carbon emissions last year put emissions closer to the 2-degree pathway, but there is a good chance that much of that dip proves transitory.