The International Energy Agency reports that 2023 saw a 1.1% (410 million tonne) increase in carbon-dioxide emissions from energy systems, bringing them to a record 37.4 billion tonnes. As ever, the trends behind the overall figures are the most interesting.

Extreme droughts led to a sharp fall in hydropower output, which contributed to over 40% of the increase in emissions – if hydropower output had been typical, then emissions from electricity generation would have fallen from 2022 levels. Emissions rose in developing countries, while those in developed countries fell. Increased coal combustion, particularly in China, India, and Indonesia, contributed 70% to increases in combustion-related emissions, whilst they fell significantly in the EU and USA.

There were also moderate falls in emissions from oil and gas use in developed countries, and moderate increases in Asia. Looking at sectors, emissions rose considerably in the power and transport sectors, moderately in industry, and fell in buildings. On the positive side, the IEA says that without cleaner technologies such as wind, solar, nuclear power, and electric cars, the increase in carbon dioxide emissions over the last five years would have been three times higher.

Total energy demand grew faster in 2023 than 2022, but the rise in emissions was higher in 2022 than 2023, indicating that some further decoupling of economic activity and emissions is taking place.