How the global fossil fuel 'production gap' threatens to exacerbate the climate crisis

clock • 4 min read

Despite lockdown generating a steep decline in fossil fuel production, COVID-19 recovery plans risk accelerating it beyond pre-COVID levels, a UN-backed study warns

A dangerous gap exists between the need to wind down fossil fuel production to limit catastrophic global heating, and national plans and projections that are set to increase global production over the...

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

More on Energy

As energy bills fall, is the government's clean power mission starting to pay off?

As energy bills fall, is the government's clean power mission starting to pay off?

There are encouraging signs the government’s clean power plans are starting to deliver on their considerable promise, but concerns remain over costs, delivery, and the continuing 'spark gap'

James Murray
clock 19 February 2026 • 10 min read
Meta, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft accounted for half of corporate PPA deals in 2025

Meta, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft accounted for half of corporate PPA deals in 2025

BNEF reveals corporates delivered second highest level of annual clean power purchase agreement activity in 2025

Stuart Stone
clock 19 February 2026 • 4 min read
Study: Hybrid offshore wind, wave, and solar projects could deliver major renewables boost

Study: Hybrid offshore wind, wave, and solar projects could deliver major renewables boost

University of Surrey research calculates hybrid offshore renewable energy systems could generate 70 per cent more power than standard offshore wind farms

clock 19 February 2026 • 3 min read