According to a report by Exeter, it has been revealed that in 2023, the global carbon emissions have been the highest in history. The research conducted by scientists associated with the Global Carbon Budget Project has shown that 36.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide were emitted globally last year. This amount is 1.1% higher than the previous year.
Experts say that in order to mitigate the worst effects of climate change, carbon emissions need to be reduced by 8.9% every year. According to Professor Pierre Friedlingstein, the head of research at the University of Exeter, efforts to limit emissions are extremely cost-effective. It is now widely believed by scientists that an increase of approximately 1.5 degrees Celsius in global temperature is almost inevitable.
The research also revealed that emissions from fossil fuels have increased year after year. However, all countries are not equal contributors to the overall increase. The majority of emissions came from India and China, with respective increases of 8.2% and 4%. However, there was a 7.4% decrease in the total emissions of the European Union compared to last year.
On the other hand, there has been a decrease in emissions in the United States. Last year, America’s carbon dioxide emissions decreased by three percent. A recent study also found that the annual emissions in the UK have decreased by almost three percent, largely due to reduced use of coal.