Global carbon emissions reach record levels in 2024 despite growth in renewables and EV adoption

Global carbon emissions have reached a new high in 2024, with total CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels set to hit 37.4 billion tonnes, an increase of 0.8% compared to last year.

This troubling trend will be highlighted at the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, where world leaders are gathering to address climate change.

Despite reductions in carbon emissions in 22 countries, mostly due to increased use of renewable energy and electric vehicles, the global surge in fossil fuel use has outweighed these gains.

The Global Carbon Project’s annual assessment reveals that fossil fuel emissions are continuing to rise, largely driven by increases in fossil gas and oil. In particular, emissions from international aviation and India’s fossil fuel consumption contributed significantly to this year’s numbers. Although coal emissions remain low in some countries like the United States and the European Union, they are on the rise in nations such as India and China.

Another challenge comes from the natural systems that absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere.

Although these systems, including forests and oceans, have managed to offset around half of human-generated CO₂ emissions in the past, extreme events such as droughts and wildfires are reducing their effectiveness. In 2023, for instance, droughts in the Amazon and extensive wildfires in Canada caused a 28% drop in carbon uptake by land-based systems. As global temperatures continue to climb and environmental events grow more severe, the ability of these natural sinks to absorb carbon may decline further.

In examining overall CO₂ emissions, the study notes that emissions from land use and deforestation remain high, averaging 4.1 billion tonnes annually over the past decade. This year, emissions from land use are expected to reach 4.2 billion tonnes, driven by deforestation and drought.

While emissions have plateaued over the last ten years, they have not yet begun a meaningful decline.

Reductions in fossil fuel emissions were seen in the United States, Norway, and New Zealand due to shifts toward renewables and increased adoption of electric vehicles. Norway, for instance, has the world’s highest share of electric vehicles, and New Zealand has increasingly replaced fossil fuels with geothermal and wind energy.

Despite these successes, the Global Carbon Project warns that global emissions are still tracking within a mid-range scenario developed by the IPCC, far from the reductions needed to meet the Paris Agreement’s target of limiting warming to 1.5–2°C.