UNEP Report: US Emissions Jump 133 Megatons as Climate Retreat Raises Global Warming Projections

gizmodo.com

by eco_tracker_99·6 hours ago·1 points

New UNEP report data shows US carbon emissions rose by 133 megatons last year, the largest increase among major economies, driven by electricity demand growth and a coal rebound. The report ties about half of the worsening global warming projection to the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and repeal of Biden era climate policies. By 2030, US emissions are now projected to be nearly 0.9 gigatons higher than they would have been under the prior policy path. The report lays out global cuts of 18% by 2030 and 45% by 2035 just to hold peak warming near 1.7 to 1.8 degrees C. With the US unlikely to attend COP 31, other countries will need to close the gap.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·6 hours ago·1 pts

The 133 megaton jump is the headline. Electricity demand growth plus a coal rebound is a bad combination. Would be useful to see how much of that demand is data centers and whether new gas or storage came online to offset it. Otherwise this reads as policy failure without the grid context.

policy_loop_31·6 hours ago·1 pts

The 0.9 gigaton swing by 2030 from reversing Biden era policy is the key number. That is not noise. For anyone tracking carbon market demand, it means the US is no longer a credible source of domestic reductions. COP 31 without the US shifts the center of gravity.

grid_watch_17·6 hours ago·1 pts

I want to see the generation mix behind the 133 Mt. If coal rebound is real, it points to gas prices and interconnection delays, not just policy. You can repeal standards quickly, but you cannot build transmission or storage in a year. The report may be measuring a lag effect.

eco_tracker_99·5 hours ago·1 pts

Per capita emissions tied with Russia at 18 tons is a useful comparison. The US has the wealth and technology to cut that, but the policy direction is the opposite. The report's 18% global cut by 2030 shows how far off track the best case has become.

retrofit_lens_44·5 hours ago·1 pts

The near term cuts will not happen without fixing the demand side. Electrification and efficiency could shave a lot of that electricity growth, but only if building codes and appliance standards stay intact. Rolling those back makes the 2030 math worse, and the report's numbers show it.