Jakarta – Global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in 2024 will break historic highs, according to a new report from international energy research organisation Ember. Although more than 40 per cent of the world’s electricity is now generated without burning fossil fuels, soaring electricity demand due to extreme heat makes it difficult to break the dependence on dirty energy.
According to Ember’s report, temperature spikes fuelling increased use of air conditioning in many parts of the world will push electricity consumption up by 4% by 2024. As a result, fossil fuelled power generation-coal and gas-must still be relied upon to plug the gap, even growing by 1.4% last year.
Phil Macdonald, Managing Director of Ember, said in an official report released on Wednesday, 9 April, that extreme hot weather is the main driver of fossil fuel use, creating huge pressure on the global energy system even amid the expansion of clean energy.
Solar energy is growing fast, but not fast enough
On the other hand, solar energy is recording the fastest growth compared to other energy sources. Since 2012, the world’s solar generation capacity has doubled every three years. China led the increase, accounting for over 50% of new capacity globally. India, in the past year alone, managed to double its solar energy capacity between 2023 and 2024.
However, solar power’s contribution to global electricity supply is still limited, accounting for only around 7%, followed by wind (8%) and hydro (14%). Ember said that solar power has become the main engine of the energy transition. But in extreme weather like 2024, it’s not growing fast enough to hold back emissions.
Meanwhile, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Agency noted that March 2025 was the second-warmest in global temperature records, extending a streak of 12 consecutive months of record extreme temperatures.
This triggered a significant increase in air conditioning and other cooling systems in many regions, including Asia, the Middle East and parts of Southern Europe, contributing to a surge in global electrical energy demand.
Ember’s report also states that for the first time since the 1940s, clean energy accounts for more than 40% of global electricity, 40.9%. However, while this reflects progress, total CO₂ emissions are set to soar to 14.6 billion tonnes by 2024, a record high in modern history.
The Asian region, especially China and India, is said to still rely heavily on coal—and gas-fueled power plants to support the surge in energy needs. Ember believes that if the region’s economic and population growth is not accompanied by a sharp increase in clean energy infrastructure development, it will be difficult to significantly reduce global emissions.
Ember believed that Asia is key. The report says that without structural change in the region, especially in reducing reliance on coal, global climate targets will be difficult to achieve. (Hartatik)
Banner photo: shutterstock
