Coal-powered recovery drove carbon emissions to record high in 2021, IEA warns

Cecilia Keating
clock • 4 min read
An open cast coal mine and power plant in Poland | Credit: iStock
Image:

An open cast coal mine and power plant in Poland | Credit: iStock

Latest figures are evidence world has failed to deliver sustainable economic recovery from Covid-19, agency warns

More carbon emissions were produced by the global energy sector in 2021 than ever before, as soaring international gas prices and the recovery from the pandemic drove an increase in coal-fired power generation...

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

'The biggest ever': Government launches latest clean power contract auction

'The biggest ever': Government launches latest clean power contract auction

New Contract for Difference Allocation Round expected to secure record levels of renewables capacity, as government seeks to keep clean power plans on track

James Murray
clock 07 August 2025 • 4 min read
Four Zeros Energy and Vergia AS join forces to advance UK green hydrogen project pipeline

Four Zeros Energy and Vergia AS join forces to advance UK green hydrogen project pipeline

Partners announce first project will be the £45m St Austell Green Hydrogen project in Cornwall

clock 06 August 2025 • 1 min read
'A huge milestone for Britain': Renewables provided half of the UK's electricity in 2024

'A huge milestone for Britain': Renewables provided half of the UK's electricity in 2024

Collective power output from Britain’s wind, solar, hydro and biomass plants reached a new record high last year, as fossil fuels plummeted to record lows

Michael Holder
clock 31 July 2025 • 6 min read