From NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT

By Paul Homewood

The world’s burning of fossil fuels is set to release more planet-warming carbon dioxide than ever before this year, new figures show.

It 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.

But 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.

And separate 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.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c620q30w0q0o

I have a few things to say about this article.

First, why is the BBC using the word “hope”? It is the BBC’s job to report the news, not reflect the reporters’ personal views.

Their first chart is revealing:

It is abundantly clear that the world is not going to suddenly give up fossil fuels, so I congratulate the BBC for telling its readers the truth for a change.

But what is this about a renewables boom and curbing warming trends?

The BBC offer this graph:

One would be entitled for believing that our energy system is being transformed.

But the BBC omitted to put these figures into perspective in overall terms. Total global electricity generation last year was 31255 TWh, so that 500 TWh of solar power is just a drop in the ocean.

Moreover, global electricity consumption keeps on rising; last year it increased by 1292 TWh. As the above chart indicates, all that the “boom” in renewables is doing is meet the growth in demand.

Whether emissions peak soon is irrelevant. There is no prospect at all that they will substantially fall in the foreseeable future.