Climate: Global CO2 emissions rise to new record level in 2011

Climate: Global CO2 emissions rise to new record level in 2011

Muenster - Global CO2 emissions again reached a new record level in 2011. At 34 billion metric tons (2010: about 33.2 bn metric tons), more carbon dioxide from fossil energy carriers was blown into the atmosphere than ever before, according to IWR, a german renewable energy institute in Muenster. After the decline in emissions in 2009 as a consequence of the global economic and financial crisis, annual CO2 emissions returned to the growth path seen in recent years. \"If the current trend persists, by 2020 global CO2 emissions will then increase by a further 20 percent to over 40 bn metric tons of CO2\", said IWR director Dr. Norbert Allnoch. As a comparison: In 1990 just 22.7 bn metric tons of carbon dioxide were emitted worldwide.

China comes highest in the CO2 ranking of countries for 2011 with 8.9 bn metric tons of carbon dioxide (2010: 8.3 bn metric tons). That is 50 percent more than the USA with 6.0 bn metric tons (2010: 6.2 bn metric tons), which ranked second. At 1.8 bn metric tons (2010: 1.7 bn metric tons), India ranks third ahead of Russia with 1.67 bn metric tons (2010: 1.7 bn metric tons) and Japan with 1.3 bn metric tons (2010: 1.3 bn metric tons). Germany ranks 6th with 804 m metric tons (2010: 828 m metric tons). Among the top 10 largest emitters, the USA, Russia and Germany reduced their CO2 emissions in comparison to the previous year (all national results at www.cerina.org/co2-2011).

In light of the Kyoto Protocol, the IWR is of the opinion that the model approach involving the agreement of CO2 thresholds is not working. Nations with high CO2 emissions are being pilloried and politicians are concerned with the economy and competitiveness of their own country. \"We need an economically friendly approach to investment and not a limitation model, which is clearly not being accepted\", said Allnoch. The IWR is proposing the implementation of the CERINA plan in order to slow down the further increase in global emissions. This plan provides for CO2 emissions in the individual states to be linked to investments in climate-friendly plant technologies, such as renewable forms of energy. The higher the CO2 emissions, the greater the investment in climate protection. Under the CERINA plan, climate protection can be achieved through cuts in emissions or by increasing investment.


Background information on the CERINA plan
Since 2009, the IWR has been determining global CO2 emissions and those of individual states using the fossil fuel energy consumption data of BP. On this basis, for each country the amount of investment in renewable technology needed to stabilise global CO2 emissions at the current level is then computed, The CERINA plan (CO2 Emissions and Renewable Investment Action Plan) is an investment model by means of which a further increase in CO2 emissions can be compensated for through investments in renewable energy technologies and thus prevented. On the basis of an objective allocation key per metric ton of CO2, the level of investment can be specified according to the source. Countries with low emissions are required to make lower investments than are countries with high emissions.
Emissions and renewable energy investments for 65 countries in 15 languages can be found at www.cerina.org


Muenster, 13 November 2012


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Dr. Norbert Allnoch, International Economic Platform for Renewable
Energies (IWR).

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