

The past year marked a record high in global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, reaching an unprecedented 37.4 billion tonnes. This might sound alarming, but don’t worry; this peak is a critical step in our world’s transition toward a net-zero future. It is a normal part of the journey in this shift to renewables. As we work to decarbonise the entire energy system on a global scale, our reliance on fossil fuels continues in key sectors such as energy, transportation, and heavy industry as these systems transform, piece by piece, into greener alternatives.
Experts have long forecasted this journey to net zero to include a peak - a tipping point - it accounts for this continued reliance on fossil fuels as we slowly shift our energy foundation into something greener.
The peak also marks a significant moment in history where our decarbonisation efforts and greener energy systems are finally about to overtake the impact of our fossil fuel reliant energy systems. It’s a big deal.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) notes that emissions are expected to peak before declining, and that this is aligned with projections for a net-zero trajectory by mid-century.
Why the peak despite our efforts to decarbonise? This peak is due to developing nations seeing rapid economic growth alongside increased global energy demand offsetting gains made through renewable energy adoption; the world’s energy needs are expanding alongside our efforts to decarbonise - reaching a peak before plateauing to mark a turning point in the extent of our fossil fuel reliance. This rise in emissions does not mean our collective decarbonisation efforts are failing. Rather, it reflects the natural inertia of a fossil-fuel-based system as we transition to cleaner, sustainable alternatives.
Our journey to net-zero is marked by this critical peak in global emissions as annual CO2 emissions reach their highest point before steadily declining.
Transformative changes are taking place, with renewable energy technologies like wind and solar rapidly outpacing fossil fuels in terms of cost and scalability.
Alongside this, innovations in green hydrogen, battery storage, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) are ready to accelerate the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors.
Renewable energy sources have grown to account for a significant share of global electricity generation. In many regions, solar and wind power are already cheaper than coal and gas, accelerating the shift to renewables. With ambitious climate policies from carbon pricing, subsidies for green technologies, to bans on internal combustion engines as measures designed to bend the emissions curve downward, with growing private sector investment in sustainability and many companies aligning with achieving net-zero emissions within their operations and supply chains.
The inevitable transition to net-zero does have its challenges; rising global emissions underscores our need for accelerated action, countries’ efforts to implement robust policies to reduce reliance on coal, oil, and gas while scaling up investments in renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure, and developing countries requiring financial and technological support to transition to clean energy without compromising their economic growth.
This record high for emissions is just a reminder of the scale of our climate challenge, and a clear sign that we are nearing a pivotal turning point, and that the big shift in our fossil fuel energy dependency is just around the corner.
Najah al Riyami
The author is a Media and Communication Master’s graduate skilled in diverse writing formats, specialising in storytelling, branding, and in-depth journalism
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