Carbon dioxide emissions flat for three years: IEA

In China, emissions fell by 1 per cent last year, as coal demand declined

Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions were flat for a third straight year in 2016 even as the global economy grew, according to the International Energy Agency, signalling a continuing decoupling of emissions and economic activity.

Energy-related emissions stood at 32.1 gigatonnes last year, the same as the previous two years, while the global economy grew 3.1 per cent.

This is attributed to growing renewable power generation, switches from coal to natural gas, improvements in energy efficiency, as well as structural changes in the global economy. In 2016, renewables supplied more than half the global electricity demand growth, with hydro accounting for half