Global energy demand increased by 2.1% in 2017 on the back of strong economic growth driven by China and India, according to the International Energy Agencyā€™s (IEA) latest Global Energy and CO2 Status Report. This is more than double the 0.9% increase in 2016 and the 0.9% average increase in the past five years.
Renewables enjoyed the highest growth rate of any energy source, meeting a quarter of global energy demand growth last year. However, it was fossil fuels that met most of the energy demand increase, with oil, gas, and coal accounting for 72% of global energy demand growth.
Improvements in energy efficiency also slowed down dramatically last year, with global energy intensity improving by only 1.7% in 2017, compared with an average of 2.3% over the last three years. This slowdown was attributed to weaker improvements in energy efficiency policy coverage and stringency, as well as lower energy prices.
Because of these trends, global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions increased to a historical high of 32.5 gigatonnes in 2017, the first increase since 2014. Most major economies saw a rise in emissions, except for the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and Japan. The United States saw the largest drop in carbon emissions due to the countryā€™s increased renewables deployment.
By: International Energy Agency