An annual analysis of the global carbon cycle has found that carbon emissions have been essentially flat for the last three years, the Global Carbon Project announced Monday at the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Marrakesh, Morocco. “Global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels and industry grew at over 3% per year in the 2000’s, but growth has slowed in the 2010’s and in the last three years have levelled off at around 36.4 billion tonnes CO2. China drove the unexpected and rapid growth in the 2000’s, and is behind the unexpected recent stabilization,” according to the analysis.
The analysis looks at several contributing factors to the global carbon emissions trends; it found that because China accounts for about 30 percent of worldwide CO2 emissions, the ups and downs of its emissions affect the entire planet. “Chinese energy statistics have been plagued by many inconsistencies,” Jan Ivar Korsbakken, a senior researcher at the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research – Oslo (CICERO), said in a press release. “However, data in recent years have shown a consistent slowdown in the growth of coal use, CO2 emissions and output from energy-intensive industries, although this could change if growth in industry returns.”
Trends in the U.S., however, are comparatively easy to predict, even in light of the recent presidential election, according to the study’s authors. “With all eyes focusing on the fallout of the US election result, it is worth noting that wind, solar, and gas continue to displace coal in US electricity production, and Trump’s plans to revive the struggling coal industry might not be able to counteract the existing market forces leading to coals decline,” said Glen Peters, a senior researcher at CICERO, in the release.