Energy sector's overall carbon emissions reduction in the first half of 2023 was undermined by climate change-related droughts that limited hydro-electric generation globally, according to a report by the Ember climate think tank cited by Reuters.
Total power sector emissions rose by 0.2% in the first half of the year despite wind and solar's share of the global electricity supply rising to 14.3% over the same period, up 1.5% compared to the first half of 2022, Ember data showed.
Hydropower output fell by some 177 terawatt-hours (TWh) due to droughts, with China accounting for nearly 75% of this, as per report. Carbon emissions would have dropped by 2.9% had hydro power generation stayed flat year-on-year.
Some fossil fuel production was used to plug the supply gap, with power generation from coal and gas both rising by 8% in China and 8.1% from gas in the United States, Ember data showed. Growth in solar power supply also helped lower total emissions as 104 TWh was added to the global energy mix with 50 countries setting monthly records, the data showed.
"While it is encouraging to see the remarkable growth of wind and solar energy, we can't ignore the stark reality of adverse hydro conditions intensified by climate change," Ember senior electricity analyst Malgorzata Wiatros-Motyka said.
Theodor Lisovoy, Editor in Chief of the European bureau, Rough&Polished
