Despite recent milestones in renewable energy, global fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions also reached record highs last year. Fossil fuel consumption increased by 1.5 percent compared to the previous year, while emissions rose by 2.1 percent, according to the Statistical Review of World Energy report.
While demand for fossil fuels is plateauing in advanced economies, emerging economies are still driving growth in fossil fuel consumption due to economic development and improvements in quality of life. In contrast, coal consumption in Europe and North America reached its lowest levels since 1965, with a notable 17 percent decrease in coal consumption in the United States over the past decade.
On the other hand, renewables’ share of energy consumption grew to 14.6 percent, showing a 0.4 percent increase from the previous year. Nick Wayth, CEO of the Energy Institute, noted that this growth was driven by advances in technology and increasing awareness of the need for sustainable energy solutions. The Global South accounted for 56 percent of total energy consumption, with consumption growing at twice the global average rate.
China stood out as the largest consumer of coal, representing 56 percent of the world’s total coal consumption, while India surpassed Europe and North America in coal consumption for the first time. In contrast, China and India experienced significant increases in natural gas consumption, with a 7 percent rise each. While Europe saw a 7 percent decline in demand for natural gas due to increasing competition from other sources such as wind and solar power.
