Energy & Science
China’s Covid Comeback Is Bad News for Climate as Emissions Rise
- December surge pushed 2020 emissions over 2019: Carbon Monitor
- China was the only major economy with emissions growth in 2020
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China was likely the only major economy that grew last year after swiftly containing the coronavirus. It’s also the only major economy that saw carbon emissions rise.
In December, emissions surpassed 2019 levels for the first time all year, according to data from Carbon Monitor, a collaborative effort between researchers in China, Europe and the U.S. that offers near real-time monitoring. That lifted total emissions in the country for 2020 to 10.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide, 0.5% higher than the year before.