Global emissions of carbon dioxide leveled off in 2014-2016, leading to hope for a continued trend in this direction or even downward. However, 2017 and 2018 data show global carbon emissions rising. In 2017, global emissions increased by 1.6 percent, and emissions are projected to increase 2.7 percent in 2018, compared to 2017 levels. The projected fossil fuel and industrial emissions in 2018 total to a record breaking 37.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year. The breakdown of the 2018 rise in emissions include a projected 4.7 percent increase in China and 6.3 percent in India; a lesser rise of 2.5% is projected for the United States, and the EU actually is projected to have a decline of 0.7%. These data are from the Global Climate Project. They indicate how far the world is from cutting emissions in half by 2030 to keep warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius, insofar as emissions are increasing sharply despite imminent threats presented by climate change. The riots in the streets of Paris in protest of fuel taxes intended to reduce emissions and the concession of the government to the protesters’ demands illustrate how difficult it may be to win public support for cutting emissions across the globe.
Climate Matters of Fact 