Economic crisis slows worldwide CO2 emissions

According to the International Economic Platform for Renewable Energies (IWR) in Münster, 31.1 billion (bil.) t of carbon dioxide was emitted worldwide in 2009 (2008: 31.5 bil.).

That is 400 million (mil.) t, or 1.3%, less than emissions in 2008, which was a record year. Global investments in renewable energy systems (power, heating, fuel) rose to 125 bil. euros (2008: 120 bil. euros).

"In the wake of the economic crisis, the global decrease in CO2 emissions fell significantly short of expectations," said IWR director Dr. Norbert Allnoch in Münster. Decreased CO2 emissions in Europe, the U.S., Russia, and Japan are almost nullified by significant increases in Asian and Middle Eastern countries.

According to Allnoch, "As a result of recent economic growth in China, energy-related CO2 emissions there were as high in 2009 as those in the U.S. and Russia combined." China tops the CO2 ranking with 7.43 bil. t (2008: 6.8 bil.), appreciably surpassing the U.S. with its 5.95 bil. t (2008: 6.4 bil.). Following in third place is Russia with 1.53 bil. t (2008: 1.7 bil.), just ahead of India with 1.53 bil. t (2008: 1.4 bil.) and Japan with 1.23 bil. t (2008: 1.4 bil.).

The global wind energy and solar power market set expansion records again in 2009. The moderate increase in renewable energy investments to a total of around 125 bil. euros (2008: 120 bil. euros) was primarily caused by reduced system prices.

Allnoch claimed, "In order to slow the rising consumption of fossil fuels and stabilize global CO2 emissions, it will be necessary to steadily increase direct investments in renewable energy systems to at least 500 billion euros a year worldwide."

In 2009, the IWR developed the CERINA Plan (CO2 Emissions and Renewable Investment Action Plan), an alternative investment model to the Kyoto Mechanism, in which the CO2 emissions of individual countries are connected directly to investments in renewable energy.

Countries Ranking 2009

Rank (Prev. Year) Country 1990 2008 2009 Difference real Changes RE-Investments

(CERINA-Plan 2009) real Investments

CO2 CO2 CO2 2008 / 2009 1990 – 2009 16€ / t CO2 2009

(mill. t) (mill. t) (mill. t) (mill. t) (%) (bn. €) (bn. €)

World 22682 31511 31098 -413 37 497.6

1. (1.) China 2452 6810 7426 616 203 118.8

2. (2.) USA 5461 6370 5951 -419 9 95.2

3. (3.) Russia 2369 1688 1534 -154 -35 24.5

4. (4.) India 626 1409 1529 120 144 24.5

5. (5.) Japan 1179 1392 1225 -167 4 19.6

6. (6.) Germany 1029 857 797 -60 -23 12.8

7. (7.) South-Korea 257 664 664 0 158 10.6

8. (8.) Canada 485 658 606 -52 25 9.7

9. (11.) Saudi Arabia 242 491 544 53 125 8.7

10. (10.) Iran 199 514 544 30 174 8.7

11. (9.) United Kingdom 625 582 531 -51 -15 8.5

12. (13.) South Africa 329 482 463 -19 41 7.4

13. (14.) Mexico 283 458 441 -17 56 7.1

14. (12.) Italy 440 483 438 -45 0 7.0

15. (15.) Brasil 246 440 415 -25 69 6.6

16. (16.) France 416 428 403 -25 -3 6.4

17. (19.) Indonesia 151 377 390 13 158 6.2

18. (17.) Australia 279 382 385 3 38 6.2

19. (18.) Spain 238 380 342 -38 44 5.5

20. (20.) Taiwan 136 340 320 -20 135 5.1

21. (21.) Poland 382 338 318 -20 -17 5.1

22. (22.) Ukraine 757 327 279 -48 -63 4.5

23. (25.) Thailand 88 254 276 22 213 4.4

24. (24.) Netherlands 219 263 267 4 22 4.3

25. (23.) Turkey 142 295 264 -31 86 4.2

26. (26.) Kazakhstan 250 208 207 -1 -17 3.3

27. (28.) Egypt 92 192 200 8 117 3.2

28. (27.) UAE 76 194 193 -1 154 3.1

29. (30.) Singapore 73 176 183 7 151 2.9

30. (29.) Belgium & Luxembourg 140 183 175 -8 25 2.8

31. (31.) Argentina 104 171 165 -6 59 2.6

32. (33.) Pakistan 65 165 161 -4 148 2.6

33. (34.) Malaysia 67 152 149 -3 122 2.4

34. (32.) Venezuela 105 170 148 -22 41 2.4

35. (35.) Uzbekistan 133 126 123 -3 -7 2.0

36. (36.) Czech Republic 168 123 109 -14 -35 1.7

37. (38.) Algeria 74 100 106 6 43 1.7

38. (37.) Greece 81 109 101 -8 25 1.6

39. (41.) Kuwait 26 75 88 13 240 1.4

40. (39.) Romania 169 94 84 -10 -50 1.3

41. (40.) Hong Kong

(to China) 41 78 79 1 92 1.3

42. (43.) Philipines 40 74 72 -2 79 1.2

43. (44.) Chile 34 71 71 0 109 1.7

44. (50.) Qatar 17 56 70 14 313 1.1

45. (42.) Austria 61 74 69 -5 14 1.1

46. (46.) Belarus 111 65 63 -2 -43 1.0

47. (45.) Portugal 46 65 63 -2 37 1.0

48. (48.) Colombia 52 60 58 -2 12 0.9

49. (49.) Turkmenistan 36 57 58 1 61 0.9

50. (55.) Bangladesh 17 52 57 5 236 0.9

51. (47.) Hungary 71 60 54 -6 -24 0.9

52. (52.) Finland 52 54 53 -1 1 0.8

53. (51.) Sweden 61 55 52 -3 -15 0.8

54. (53.) Denmark 56 54 50 -4 -10 0.8

55. (56.) Switzerland 45 45 45 0 0 0.7

56. (54.) Bulgaria 75 53 44 -9 -42 0.7

57. (58.) Norway 35 42 41 -1 16 0.7

58. (57.) Ireland 27 44 40 -4 50 0.6

59. (59.) Slovakia 55 41 38 -3 -31 0.6

60. (60.) New Zealand 29 39 36 -3 26 0.6

61. (61.) Peru 20 34 36 2 80 0.6

62. (62.) Ecuador 13 30 32 2 145 0.5

63. (63.) Azerbaijan 60 30 25 -5 -58 0.4

64. (64.) Latvia 37 17 16 -1 -58 0.3

65. (65.) Iceland 2 3 3.6 0.6 80 0.1

rem. Middle East 182 357 377 20 107 6.0

rem. Africa 188 277 299 22 59 4.8

rem. South-/

Centralamerica 157 263 247 -16 57 4.0

rem. Asia / Pacific 176 257 228 -29 30 3.6

rem. Europe & Eurasia 301 190 179 -11 -40 2.9

Source: IWR Research, BP Statistical Review, Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft

Reference: http://evwind.es/noticias.php?id_not=6949