Plateauing CO2 emissions have slowed atmospheric CO2 growth, analysis shows

Global CO2 emissions have largely plateaued over the past decade, rising only 3% since 2013 compared to a 20% increase in the 2000s. This slowdown is driven by rapid clean energy expansion, with global spending on clean energy rising from $600 billion in 2020 to $2.3 trillion in 2025. However, atmospheric CO2 concentrations continue to rise linearly because about half of emitted CO2 stays in the atmosphere for over a century. A new analysis by climate scientist Zeke Hausfather uses carbon cycle models to show that if emissions had continued growing at 2.2% per year, atmospheric CO2 would be about 8 ppm higher than today. The plateau has shifted the growth rate from accelerating to linear, which is detectable progress even though total emissions remain above 40 billion tons per year. The article provides code to reproduce the analysis for those who want to verify the results.