Fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions both reached record highs in 2023, according to a new study that underscores the ongoing challenge of controlling climate change.
The Energy Institute (EI), representing power sector engineers and professionals, reported that 58 billion tonnes of CO2 were emitted into the Earth’s atmosphere last year. This increase has accelerated global warming, contributing to a 1.5°C rise in average temperatures.
The surge in emissions was primarily due to fossil fuel use, which exceeded 40 billion tonnes for the first time—double the amount emitted in 2000.
Juliet Davenport, president of the London-based EI, stated, “2023 saw record consumption of fossil fuels and record emissions from energy, but also record generation of renewables, driven by increasingly competitive wind and solar energy.”
This report coincides with Labour’s plans to impose additional taxes and licensing restrictions on UK oil and gas producers as part of their broader initiative to transition the UK towards cleaner energy sources.
At the Global Offshore Wind conference in Manchester, Ed Miliband announced that, if elected, one of his first actions as energy secretary would be to reduce planning restrictions on onshore wind farms to spur a surge in greenfield turbine construction. Miliband emphasized, “Clean energy we produce at home is cheaper than fossil fuels and more secure because dictators cannot control it.”
The Conservatives have committed to tripling Britain’s offshore wind capacity and continuing to grant North Sea oil and gas licenses to ensure energy security.
The EI report highlighted that 2023 was the warmest year on record, with global temperatures 1.5°C above the average, according to EU monitoring. Although renewable energy production also hit an all-time high, it is not expanding quickly enough to meet growing demand.
Fossil fuels—coal, oil, and gas—still provide 81.5% of global energy, as noted in the EI’s annual Statistical Review of World Energy. EI chief executive Nick Wayth observed, “We see an energy-hungry world. Primary energy consumption reached a record high in 2023, up 2% to 620 exajoules, surpassing last year’s previous high. Total fossil fuel consumption increased by 1.5% to 505 exajoules, with coal and oil consumption both reaching new highs.”
The report also noted that coal consumption surged due to rising demand in China and India, with India surpassing Europe and North America combined in coal use for the first time.
