Global energy CO2 emissions reached record high last year, report says

Global carbon dioxide emissions from the energy sector hit a record high for the fourth year running last year as fossil fuel use kept rising even as renewable energy reached a record high, the Energy Institute's annual statistical review of world energy showed on Thursday (June 26, 2025).

- GNS News Agency

Why it's importantThe report's figures highlight the challenge of trying to wean the world economy off fossil fuels at a time when conflict in Ukraine has redrawn oil and gas flows from Russia and fighting in the West Asia raises concern about security of supplies.Last year was the hottest year on record, with global temperatures exceeding 1.5 C (34.7 F) above the pre-industrial era for the first time. “Last year was another turning point for global energy, driven by rising geopolitical tensions," Romain Debarre of consultancy Kearney, one of the authors of the report, said in a release.By the numbersThe world saw a 2% annua