Very high oil prices up to the summer of 2008, together with a worldwide financial crisis have caused a halving of the annual increase in global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from consumption of oil, coal and gas, and from cement production. Emissions increased by 1.7% in 2008, against 3.3% in 2007.

Since 2002, the average annual increase was almost 4%. In addition to high oil prices and the financial crisis, the increased use of new renewable energy sources, such as biofuels for road transport and wind energy for electricity generation, had a noticeable and mitigating impact on CO2 emissions.

These figures are based on preliminary estimates by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), using recently published energy data from BP (British Petroleum).

Read the complete news item here: http://www.pbl.nl/en/news/pressreleases/2009/20090625-Global-CO2-emissio...

Our opinion:

The main factor behind this slower increase might be the economic situation but let us not forget the big picture here. We are still seeing an INCREASE, which is not really what we wanted to see and not really what we need. And now the developing countries have more then a 50% share of global CO2 emissions. This needs to make us worry what the increase will be once the economies will start to grow again. Maybe this economic downturn can be seen a positive sign for the development of CO2 emissions? What do you think?