Globe-Spanning Fossil Fuel Emissions Poised for Record High in 2025, Climate Crisis Looms
Global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels are set to hit a record high of 38.1 billion tonnes by 2025, according to an international team of scientists. The alarming forecast comes as nations converge on the Brazilian Amazon for COP30 climate talks, where world leaders have been left under pressure to deliver on their commitments to curb warming.
The new report, which has sparked widespread concern, suggests that fossil fuel emissions will rise by 1.1 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year, largely due to increased energy demand and a lack of significant progress on renewable energy technologies. This bleak outlook raises serious doubts about humanity's ability to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
According to Pierre Friedlingstein of Britain's Exeter University, which led the research, the remaining carbon budget to achieve this target is now exhausted after just four years of emissions at current rates. "This is essentially impossible," he warned. The dire predictions come as nations struggle to meet their climate commitments, with many countries far from meeting their targets.
While some countries have made progress in reducing their emissions, others continue to increase them. For example, the United States saw a significant rise in coal emissions due to higher gas prices, driving more power generation from this dirty fuel. China's fossil fuel emissions remained relatively flat despite efforts to shift towards renewable energy sources.
The study also found that 35 countries have managed to reduce their emissions while growing their economies – twice as many as a decade ago. However, the overall picture is still grim, with humanity's total emissions projected to reach 42.2 billion tonnes this year, slightly lower than last year but with significant uncertainty.
As the world teeters on the brink of environmental disaster, critics are calling for collective action and increased ambition from governments to address the crisis. "Everyone needs to do their bit, and all of them need to do more," said Glen Peters of the CICERO Center for International Climate Research.
The COP30 talks have brought nations together in a rainforest city, but without the participation of the United States – the world's second-largest polluter. The failure to cut planet-heating emissions is now overshadowing the event, leaving many wondering if it's already too late to make a meaningful difference.
Global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels are set to hit a record high of 38.1 billion tonnes by 2025, according to an international team of scientists. The alarming forecast comes as nations converge on the Brazilian Amazon for COP30 climate talks, where world leaders have been left under pressure to deliver on their commitments to curb warming.
The new report, which has sparked widespread concern, suggests that fossil fuel emissions will rise by 1.1 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year, largely due to increased energy demand and a lack of significant progress on renewable energy technologies. This bleak outlook raises serious doubts about humanity's ability to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
According to Pierre Friedlingstein of Britain's Exeter University, which led the research, the remaining carbon budget to achieve this target is now exhausted after just four years of emissions at current rates. "This is essentially impossible," he warned. The dire predictions come as nations struggle to meet their climate commitments, with many countries far from meeting their targets.
While some countries have made progress in reducing their emissions, others continue to increase them. For example, the United States saw a significant rise in coal emissions due to higher gas prices, driving more power generation from this dirty fuel. China's fossil fuel emissions remained relatively flat despite efforts to shift towards renewable energy sources.
The study also found that 35 countries have managed to reduce their emissions while growing their economies – twice as many as a decade ago. However, the overall picture is still grim, with humanity's total emissions projected to reach 42.2 billion tonnes this year, slightly lower than last year but with significant uncertainty.
As the world teeters on the brink of environmental disaster, critics are calling for collective action and increased ambition from governments to address the crisis. "Everyone needs to do their bit, and all of them need to do more," said Glen Peters of the CICERO Center for International Climate Research.
The COP30 talks have brought nations together in a rainforest city, but without the participation of the United States – the world's second-largest polluter. The failure to cut planet-heating emissions is now overshadowing the event, leaving many wondering if it's already too late to make a meaningful difference.
this is so bad... 38.1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels? that's like, way more than we can handle. and the fact that it'll rise by just 1.1 percent in 2025 is not even close to enough. i mean, we're supposed to be cutting emissions right now, but instead we're increasing them. it's like we're playing a game of whack-a-mole - every time we think we're getting one down, another pops up somewhere else.
. i'm not sure what's going on with some countries like the US, they're actually increasing their coal emissions? 
what's driving that trend? and china's fossil fuel emissions remained flat despite efforts to shift towards renewables... it's like we're just treading water 
.
️. but overall, the picture is still grim, with humanity's total emissions projected to reach 42.2 billion tonnes this year... it's like we're running out of time 
. everyone needs to do their bit, and all of them need to do more 
. gotta stay hopeful tho, we can make a difference if we work together 
.
38.1 billion tonnes? that's like filling up the entire Great Wall of China with carbon dioxide! 
we gotta do something about this climate crisis ASAP 
i mean, i know renewable energy is still super expensive and all, but come on! governments need to step it up and make some serious changes 
anyway, looks like 2025 is gonna be a real scorcher... in more ways than one 
... not literally though, right? So we're gonna hit that record high in fossil fuel emissions and the climate crisis is just gonna get worse? Like, I'm all for having some old-school energy but come on guys, let's get our renewable game together ASAP 
. I heard China's been trying to shift towards clean energy, so that's a good sign... right? 
And 35 countries have reduced their emissions while growing their economies? That's like the ultimate win-win 
. But seriously though, we need to step up our climate game or it's gonna be one long, hot summer for all of us 
oh man, this is super worrying! like, we're just 4 years from exhausting our carbon budget and it's all gonna go downhill 
. it's not too late yet, let's keep pushing for change and holding leaders accountable 
i'm not buying that our emissions are going up because of higher gas prices, that's just a cop-out. china and us are the biggest polluters for a reason, let's hold them accountable! 
like how did we even get here? and the fact that some countries are still burning coal and gas left and right while others are trying to make a change is just so frustrating 
i guess it's true what glen peters said everyone needs to do their bit, but honestly who's gonna take action when it affects them directly? 
. I'm not surprised though, we've been down this road before and nothing seems to change. I mean, some countries are trying, but it's just not enough 
. And what's with the lack of progress on renewable energy tech? It feels like we're just kicking the can down the road 
.
. We need collective action and more ambition from governments, but I'm not sure if that's gonna happen 
. It's like we're just talking about the problem without actually doing anything about it 
. Still, I guess it's good to know what's at stake, right? Maybe we can still make a difference, maybe not... who knows 
... meanwhile the US is just burning through coal like it's going out of style 
... and now we're stuck with a 42.2 billion tonne target that's basically impossible to hit 
. I wish there was more investment in renewable energy tech, you know? It would make a huge difference. And what's with countries not meeting their climate commitments? It's like they're all just trying to avoid taking responsibility 
. We need collective action now, or else it'll be too late... I don't want to even think about that 
we gotta innovate faster and invest more in sustainable solutions... it's time to break free from dirty fuels 
we need world leaders to work together on this one 
. We need more renewable energy sources ASAP if we want to have any hope of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
It's great to see 35 countries making progress while growing their economies. We can do better, and we gotta start doing it now 
, and we're still not even close to meeting our own targets! I mean, 38.1 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions by 2025? That's insane! 
. Coal emissions in the States are through the roof due to higher gas prices, and China's just not making enough of an effort to transition to renewables 
. We need to take action now, not just talk about it at these climate talks 
and we can make progress towards a more sustainable future 
. I'm not giving up hope though - there are still so many people and organizations working hard to make a change 
. Every little bit counts, right? 
are just what we all needed to make our planet even more unbearable. I mean, who needs a functioning ecosystem when you can have more CO2 in the atmosphere? 
. The fact that 35 countries managed to reduce emissions without harming their economies is super impressive, I'm sure they must've used some kind of magic 
. Can't wait to see how many more years we get to enjoy this "record-breaking" high before it all comes crashing down