a little applause for the Chinese for helping big time keeping carbon emissions relatively stable for 2016 (+0.2%)?
While India and the EU still have rising CO2 emission:
China, the biggest emitter of CO2 at 29%, saw emissions decrease by 0.7 per cent in 2015, compared to growth of more than 5 percent per year the previous decade. A further reduction of 0.5 per cent is projected for 2016, though with large uncertainties*
Although the break in emissions rise ties in with the pledges by countries to decrease emissions until 2030, it falls short of the reductions needed to limit climate change well below 2 degrees Celsius. (…)
The Global Carbon Budget analysis also shows that, in spite of a lack of growth in emissions, the growth in atmospheric CO2 concentration was a record-high in 2015, and could be a record again in 2016 due to weak carbon sinks.
Prof Le Quéré [UEA] said: “Part of the CO2 emissions are absorbed by the ocean and by trees. With temperatures soaring in 2015 and 2016, less CO2 was absorbed by trees because of the hot and dry conditions related to the El Niño event. Atmospheric CO2 levels have exceeded 400 parts per million (ppm) and will continue to rise and cause the planet to warm until emissions are cut down to near zero.”*
Still a long way to go, but with the US possibly bailing out of the Paris agreement, it is good that China is showing the way.
And for all you climate sceptics, please note that the incentive for the Chinese is both long term economic as well as the
citizens demand for clean air! (Sounds familiar?)
*source, UEA, 14 november 2016:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9j5c5e237lboixt/AADhGuzfseOoOPnnRbTTr9XJa?dl=0&preview=UEA+Carbon+budget+2016+press+release+FINAL.docx
