SILVER SPRING, Md. – Global warming emissions are expected to spike this year as the world emerges from the coronavirus pandemic and economies begin to recover.
According to a Tuesday report from the International Energy Agency, an intergovernmental group based in Paris, worldwide energy-related carbon dioxide emissions could surge by 1.5 billion metric tons this year, following last year's decline due to the pandemic.
According to the IEA, it would be the second-largest annual increase in emissions since 2010 following the global financial crisis of 2008-2009.
The IEA forecasts a 5% increase in carbon dioxide emissions this year, to 33 billion metric tons. The group says that the main driver is coal demand, which is on course to grow by