Rising Fossil Fuel Emissions Highlight Urgent Need for Renewable Energy Transition

The world's burning of fossil fuels is set to release more planet-warming carbon dioxide than ever before this year, new figures show. This is another sign that efforts to fight climate change by cutting emissions are moving far too slowly to meet international targets, as countries meet in Brazil for UN climate talks COP30.

However, emissions have grown much less quickly over the past decade as renewables have taken off, providing hope that the world's warming trend can still be curbed. Analysis by clean energy think tank Ember suggests that fossil fuel use in electricity generation has flatlined in 2025, largely thanks to the rapid growth of solar power.

It adds weight to the idea that global emissions may be nearing a peak, even though it's hard to say exactly when that might come. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for 2025 are an estimate, indicating a mixed picture for the year.

Emissions from fossil fuels and cement are forecast to increase to 38.1bn tonnes of CO2, up 1.1% from 2024. On the other hand, emissions from changing land-use, such as permanent deforestation, are expected to be lower than last year...

Over the past decade, 35 countries significantly cut fossil fuel emissions while growing their economies. We're not yet in a situation where emissions go down as rapidly as they need to, but there are many positive developments, said Corinne Le Quéré, a professor of climate change science.

This year, emissions in the power sector are projected to flatline or even decline slightly, despite an increase in electricity demand met largely by wind and solar energy. This shows a significant shift from previous decades when fossil fuels dominated economic growth.

While there remains an uncertainty about the exact timing of emissions peaking, the International Energy Agency suggests carbon emissions from energy systems could reach a peak in the coming years...

As nations grapple with these challenges, the potential for renewable technologies fuels some optimism, but immediate and decisive action is required to curb the growing emissions trend.