CO2 Emissions in 2022

Context: According to the IEA’s ‘CO2 Emissions in 2022’ report, global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions rose by under 1% in 2022.

About the ‘CO2 Emissions in 2022’ Report

• This report is the first in the IEA (International Energy Agency)’s new series, the Global Energy Transitions Stocktake.
• The report covers CO2 emissions from all energy combustion and industrial processes.
• It also includes information on methane and nitrous oxide emissions, providing a complete picture of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions in 2022.

Key Takeaways from the Report

Global Energy-Related CO₂ Emissions

• New high: Global energy-related CO2 emissions grew by 0.9% or 321 Mt in 2022, reaching a new high of over 36.8 Gt.
  • Composition: Of the 321 Mt CO2 increase, 60 Mt CO2 can be attributed to cooling and heating demand in extreme weather and another 55 Mt CO2 to nuclear power plants being offline.
• Lower than in 2021: The rise in CO2 emissions in 2022 was far smaller than the exceptional jump of over 6% in 2021.
  • Despite energy price shocks, rising inflation and disruptions to traditional fuel trade flows, and gas-to-coal switching in many countries in 2022, global growth in emissions was lower than feared.
  • Reasons behind better results in 2022:
    • Increased deployment of clean energy technologies such as renewables, electric vehicles, and heat pumps helped prevent an additional 550 Mt in CO2 emissions.
    • Industrial production curtailment, particularly in China and Europe, also averted additional emissions.
• Decoupling emissions from economic growth: CO2 growth in 2022 was well below global GDP growth of 3.2%, reverting to a decade-long trend of decoupling emissions and economic growth that was broken by 2021’s sharp rebound in emissions.

Global Energy-Related Greenhouse Gas Emissions

• New high: Total energy-related greenhouse gas emissions increased by 1.0% to an all-time high of 41.3 Gt CO2-eq in 2022.
• Composition:
  • CO2 emissions from energy combustion and industrial process accounted for 89% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions in 2022.
  • Methane from energy combustion, leaks and venting represented another 10%, mostly coming from onshore oil and gas operations as well as steam coal production.

Fuel-by-fuel Analysis

• CO2 emissions from coal grew by 1.6% as the global energy crisis continued to spur a wave of gas-to-coal switching in Asia.
• The increase in coal emissions balanced the 1.6% decline in emissions from natural gas as supplies were limited by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• CO2 emissions from oil grew by 2.5% (came mainly from the aviation sector) but still remained below pre-pandemic levels.

Region-by-Region Analysis

• China’s emissions were broadly flat in 2022 due to strict Covid-19 measures.
• The EU emissions fell by 2.5%, thanks to the record deployment of renewables and energy savings measures in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine also contributed.
• In the US, emissions grew by 0.8% as buildings increased their energy consumption to cope with extreme temperatures.
• Excluding China, emissions from Asia’s emerging and developing economies increased by 4.2%, reflecting their rapid economic and energy demand growth.

About the International Energy Agency

• It is a Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organization which works with countries around the world to shape energy policies for a secure and sustainable future.
• Establishment: It was established in the wake of the oil crisis of 1973-1974, to help its members respond to major disruptions in oil supply.
• Objective: It mainly focuses on its energy policies which include economic development, energy security and environmental protection. These policies are also known as the 3 E’s of IEA.
• Important reports: World Energy Outlook Report, World Energy Investment Report, World Energy Statistics and India Energy Outlook Report.

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