<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/stubborn-fossil-fuel-emissions-threaten-to-blow-global-carbon-budget/>
"No peak is in sight for carbon emissions despite progress for renewable
energy, according to the latest global carbon tracker.
Scientists including Australia’s CSIRO on Wednesday warned climate negotiators
of a 50 per cent chance the world’s “carbon budget” that is required to limit
global warming to 1.5C could be exceeded in six years.
Total carbon emissions from fossil fuels and land use may have plateaued over
the past decade, mostly because of a fall in emissions from deforestation, but
they are not declining, according to the Global Carbon Budget released at the
COP29 climate conference.
Growth of 0.8 per cent in gas and oil use drove fossil fuel carbon emissions to
a record high of 41.6 billion tonnes in 2024, putting carbon concentration 52
per cent above pre-industrial levels, scientists said.
The carbon project tracks trends in emissions and so-called carbon sinks such
as oceans and forests, which absorb more emissions from the atmosphere than
they release, and is a key measure of progress on limiting global warming under
the Paris Agreement.
Land and ocean sinks combined continued to take up around half of the total
carbon emissions, despite being negatively impacted by climate change, the
report found.
Australia’s fossil fuel carbon emissions had fallen because of a continuous
decline in coal emissions and a decline in gas emissions for the first time,
but oil emissions were up, CSIRO’s chief research scientist Pep Canadell said.
“2023 for Australia shows the humungous challenge we have with all the fossil
fuel energy we have, but clearly an extraordinary growth of renewable
energies,” Dr Canadell said.
“CO₂ must reach net zero … it’s a physical requirement of the planet, and
that’s because CO₂ accumulates for thousands of years in the atmosphere,” he
said.
Any new mine or fracking project would add more carbon emissions into the
atmosphere and further reduce carbon budget, he said, when asked about the
Northern Territory’s expansion plans.
“It might also have some additional fugitive emissions of methane, because both
coal and gas have fugitive emissions which usually are methane, a very powerful
greenhouse gas as well, and that will all contribute to reduce the remaining
carbon budget,” Dr Canadell said."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
