Global CO emissions return to near pre-COVID pandemic levels

Press release: EMBARGO: Thursday 4 November 2021, 01:00 (1am) Central European Time Global CO2 emissions return to near pre-COVID pandemic levels Global fossil CO2 emissions are expected to grow 4.9% in 2021, nearly offsetting the 5.4% decline in 2020 due the COVID restrictions. [...] Today, 4 November, the Global Carbon Project (GCP) publishes a preprint1 of its annual analysis of trends in the global carbon cycle in the journal Earth System Science Data, including an updated full-year projection of global fossil carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2021. [...] Global fossil CO2 emissions are expected to grow 4.9% (with an uncertainty range of 4.1% to 5.7%) in 2021, recovering most of the 5.4% decline in 2020 due to the restrictions in place across the globe to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID). [...] Were emissions approaching a peak? “Despite the tragedy of the COVID pandemic in 2020, the strength and nature of the rebound in fossil CO2 emissions shows the world has done little to focus on a green recovery,” said Glen Peters, a research director at the CICERO Center for International Climate Research in Norway. [...] The increase in 2020 was 2.4 ppm with an expected increase of 2.0 ppm in 2021, bringing the average concentration in 2021 to 415 ppm, 49% over the preindustrial level.