Greenhouse gas emissions from global electricity production are now higher than they were before the coronavirus pandemic, suggesting that countries are failing to take the opportunity to “build back better” from the economic downturn, a new report has revealed.
In less developed Asian nations, from Mongolia to Bangladesh, coal power stepped in to meet rebounding demand for electricity. With fossil fuels delivering 98% of the bounce back in demand, CO2 emissions in Bangladesh rose 25%. Even in Vietnam, where new solar and wind generation managed to meet the increased demand, emissions still rose 4% as some gas generation was taken over by coal.
“No country had a green recovery, by which we mean not just seeing emissions fall on stagnant demand, but as electricity demand increases,” he said. According to the report, emissions in the U.S. remain low following the 2020 economic downturn, but only because electricity demand remains at -0.3% below pre-pandemic levels. A modest growth in wind and solar generation from 10.1% to 13.7% of the energy mix contributed to a fall in emissions of just 4%.
This, Jones said, is particularly concerning when taking into account the relatively slow growth in electricity use in developed nations over the previous decade. “That was the norm, but we know in the coming decade that’s not going to be the norm,” he explained. “This decade we’re going to see the electrification of transport, of industry, of heat and everything else. We might be reducing emissions at the moment, but not against the background of increasing electricity demand.
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