BP review finds global carbon emissions surged in 2018

Global carbon emissions surged to the highest level in seven years in 2018, according to a review of world energy usage released Tuesday by BP.

Carbon emissions grew 2 percent over the last year, roughly 0.6 gigatonnes.

“That’s roughly equivalent to the carbon emissions associated with increasing the number of passenger cars on the planet by a third,” BP chief economist Spencer Dale said in the report.

Global energy consumption grew by 2.9 percent, largely driven by China, India and the U.S.

{mosads}Specifically in the U.S., consumption increased by 3.5 percent, the fastest growth seen for 30 years and in sharp contrast to the decline seen over the last 10 years.

BP’s report comes as urgency builds globally to contain temperature increases.

“At a time when society is increasing its demands for an accelerated transition to a low carbon energy system, the energy data for 2018 paint a worrying picture, with both energy demand and carbon emissions growing at the fastest rates seen for years,” Dale said.

Renewable power grew by 14.5 percent in 2018, which is slightly below its historical average, according to the review. However, the increase in energy terms from renewables was close to the record-breaking increase from 2017.

China is adding more renewable energy than the world’s most developed nations in the OECD combined, according to BP.