Global carbon emissions reach record, says IAE
The watchdog says emissions rose again after a dip caused by the financial crisis in 2009, and ended 5% up from the previous record in 2008.
China and India account for most of the rise, though emissions have also grown in developed countries…At a meeting last year in Cancun, Mexico, world leaders agreed that deep cuts were needed to limit the rise in global temperature to 2C above pre-industrial levels. But according to the IAE’s estimate, CO2 emissions reached a record 30.6 gigatonnes in 2010.
The IEA’s Fatih Birol said the finding was “another wake-up call”.
“The world has edged incredibly close to the level of emissions that should not be reached until 2020 if the 2C target is to be attained,” he added.
In other words, worst-case scenarios of a 4-6C rise in temperature by 2100 (at the latest) are more likely than ever.
6C means mass extinctions that could include humans as well.