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US carbon emissions fell 10%. Now it's up to Biden

2021-01-13T02:34:47.552Z


US greenhouse gas emissions fell dramatically in 2020, but could rise again. They reveal the impact of the population on emissions from air travel 0:43 (CNN) - America 's greenhouse gas emissions fell dramatically in 2020, helping the country meet one of its long-standing climate goals. But the fall came at great economic cost, and experts warn that unless climate action is made a priority, emissions will rise rapidly. The crisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic sen


They reveal the impact of the population on emissions from air travel 0:43

(CNN) - America

's greenhouse gas emissions fell dramatically in 2020, helping the country meet one of its long-standing climate goals.

But the fall came at great economic cost, and experts warn that unless climate action is made a priority, emissions will rise rapidly.

The crisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic sent US emissions down 10.3% last year, according to preliminary estimates from Rhodium Group, a private data analytics firm.

This is the largest annual emissions drop in the post-World War II era, the group said.

In comparison, the economic recession of 2009 caused emissions to fall 6.3%.

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Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases trap solar radiation in the atmosphere, just like glass traps heat in a greenhouse.

This causes temperatures to rise and there is more extreme weather, melting ice, rising sea levels and acidification of the oceans.

Last year's drastic drop means that the United States has reached a key emissions reduction target set by the Obama administration.

What does this reduction in greenhouse gas emissions really mean?

Under the 2009 Copenhagen Accord, the United States had promised that by 2020 it would reduce its emissions by 17% from 2005 levels. Due to the pandemic, emissions were 21.5% lower in 2020 compared to with 2005.

"However, 2020 should not be viewed in any way as an anticipation of the United States meeting its Paris Agreement target by 2025 of being 26-28% below 2005 levels," the authors of the report said. Rhodium Group.

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"With coronavirus vaccines in the pipeline, we expect economic activity to pick up again in 2021. However, without significant structural changes in the carbon intensity of the US economy, emissions are likely to rise again as well," they wrote.

America's action on climate change has stalled under the presidency of Donald Trump.

However, President-elect Joe Biden has promised to put climate at the center of his agenda.

Biden said the United States will rejoin the Paris Agreement on his first day in office, and vowed to take a series of executive actions to combat the climate crisis.

José Gonzales: pandemic and climate, Biden's priorities 1:20

There was no significant impact on the climate

It's not just about the United States.

The Global Carbon Project estimates that heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions decreased by around 7% globally last year.

That may seem like a significant drop, but it won't make any significant difference to climate change.

Carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for centuries, and last year's decline is a temporary change with no special significance.

The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere actually soared to a new record last year, the World Meteorological Organization said in November.

Under the Paris Agreement, the vast majority of nations agreed to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

They also agreed to make efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees.

To reach that goal, greenhouse gas emissions must be cut drastically and early.

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The United Nations calculated last year that to stay within the 1.5 degree limit, emissions would have to fall 7.6% each year between 2020 and 2030. To do this, the world needs to radically change the way it gets its energy. Energy.

“This decrease (in emissions) did not come as a result of strong government policies or a high penetration of clean energy technologies.

This decline came mainly as a result of the economic recession (and) the pandemic, ”Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, told a news conference on Monday.

Emissions were greatly reduced because the pandemic halted some of the most polluting sectors of the economy.

The impact of transportation

Transportation, responsible for nearly a third of all US emissions, was the biggest victim of the recession.

The Rhodium Group said that at the peak of lockdowns in April and May, demand for jet fuel had fallen 68% year-on-year.

The demand for gasoline fell by 40% and that of diesel by 18%.

As a result, greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fell 14.7% last year compared to 2019.

But there are indications that the drop was only temporary.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, demand for jet fuel in the country is recovering faster than in many other markets.

Emissions from industrial activities fell by 7% in 2020 compared to 2019, also due to the large slowdown in the economy.

There is also good news.

Changes in the energy sector

Emissions from the US energy sector declined 10.3% in 2020. And unlike falls in transportation and industry, this was not driven by the economic collapse.

It was driven by a shift from coal to renewable resources.

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About a fifth of America's energy, 20%, was generated by burning coal in 2020. In 2019 the figure was 24%.

The share of renewable energy increased from 16% in 2019 to 18% last year.

Despite last year's drop, the United States remains the world's second-largest emitter after China.

It is by far the largest emitter historically, which means that no country has released more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than the United States.

Since it peaked in 2007, U.S. emissions have dropped 1.3% per year on average, according to the Energy Information Administration.

climate change greenhouse gas emissions

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2021-01-13

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