Record high for global carbon emissions
Posted: 02 Dec 2012 01:40 PM PST
Global carbon dioxide emissions are set to rise again in 2012, reaching a record high of 35.6 billion tonnes – according to new figures from the Global Carbon Project. The 2.6 per cent rise projected for 2012 means global emissions from burning fossil fuel are 58 per cent above 1990 levels, the baseline year for the Kyoto Protocol. This latest analysis shows the biggest contributors to global emissions in 2011 were China (28 per cent), the United States (16 per cent), the European Union (11 per cent), and India (7 per cent).
Reaching 2009 international climate change goals will require aggressive measures
Posted: 02 Dec 2012 01:40 PM PST
Despite an international consensus reached in 2009 to limit climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions, scientists say the likelihood of meeting that goal is diminishing. The Global Carbon Project?s most recent analysis by scientists from the United States, Norway, Australia, France and the United Kingdom shows that a global economy fueled with coal, oil and natural gas is putting increasing pressure on the global climate system.