Climate Facts: Global carbon emissions to peak by 2025, study finds

The complexities of climate change and its associated jargon can prove difficult to digest.

TheCable’s quick climate facts will help demystify these concepts through easy-to-understand and straight-to-the-point explanations.

Here are some to keep at the tip of your fingers:

• According to World Bank satellite data, global gas flaring rose by 9 Bcm (7%) to 148 Bcm in 2023 — the highest since 2019 — reversing the modest decline seen in 2022.

• This surge released an estimated 23 million tonnes of CO₂, equivalent to adding roughly 5 million cars on the roads.

• Notably, the top nine flaring countries (Russia, Iran, Iraq, USA, Venezuela, Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Mexico) accounted for 75 percent of total flaring, despite producing just 46 percent of global oil.

• A study found that natural gas delivers a climate advantage only if methane leak rates are below ~3.2 percent of total gas production. Beyond that, its lifetime warming potential can match or exceed that of coal.   

• According to DNV GL’s forecast, global energy-related carbon (CO₂) emissions will reach their highest point in 2025, then gradually decline. But will remain far above net-zero levels by 2050.

• The organisation projected that global energy demand will peak by 2030, as gains in energy efficiency and widespread electrification are expected to halt further growth, leading to a decline in total demand thereafter.