Carbon dioxide emissions rebound quickly after global financial crisis

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.ornl.gov/info/press_releases/get_press_release.cfm?ReleaseNumber=mr20111205-00

News Release
Media Contact: Emma Macmillan
Communications and External Relations
[phone]

Carbon dioxide emissions rebound quickly after global financial crisis

OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 5, 2011 — The sharp decrease in global carbon dioxide emissions attributed to the worldwide financial crisis in 2009 quickly rebounded in 2010, according to research supported by the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

In 2010, emissions reached an all-time high of 9.1 billion tons of carbon, compared with 8.6 billion tons in 2009. The downturn was also followed by milestone carbon dioxide emissions from the developing world's emerging economies. In developing countries, consumption-based emissions, or those emissions associated with the consumption of goods and services, increased 6.1 percent over 2009 and 2010.

As a result, 2009 marked the first time that developing countries had higher consumption-based emissions than developed countries.

For the first time, in 2009, developing countries surpassed developed countries in consumption-based carbon dioxide emissions. The shaded region represents the difference between developed and developing consumption-based and production-based carbon dioxide emissions.

"Previously, developed countries released more carbon dioxide, but that's no longer true due to emerging economies in developing countries, such as China and India," said Tom Boden of ORNL's CDIAC. "This trend will likely continue in the future based on current developments."

…

http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1332