Australia cuts CO₂ fossil fuel emissions as global levels hit record high, report finds
According to the new Global Carbon Budget, Australia saw a 0.4% decrease in carbon dioxide (CO₂) fossil fuel emissions in 2023, with this downward trend expected to continue.
However, while Australia’s numbers are falling, global CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels have reached a record high in 2024 and total emissions from fossil fuel and land-use changes over the last decade have remained steady.
Released today, the report is produced by leading international research organisations including the Australian national science agency, CSIRO, as part of the Global Carbon Project.
Global carbon cycle
The Global Carbon Budget provides an overview of the global carbon cycle, including both natural and human-induced emissions.
CSIRO’s Global Carbon Project executive director Dr Pep Canadell said CO₂ is a long-lived greenhouse gas that, along with methane and nitrous oxide, leads to human-driven climate change.
Dr Canadell said the report shows global CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels continue to rise despite significant increases in the adoption of renewable energy.
“We have seen a 0.8% increase in global CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels in 2024 compared to 2023,” he said.
“This equates to a total of 37.4 billion tonnes of CO₂ projected to be emitted into the atmosphere from fossil fuel use this year alone.”
Coal the leading emitter
Globally, fossil fuel CO₂ emissions come from coal (41%), oil (32%) and gas (21%).
China contributed 32% of total global CO₂ emissions, followed by the US (13%), India (8%) and the European Union (7%).
By the end of 2024, CO₂ concentrations are projected to reach 422.5 parts per million—52% above pre-industrial levels recorded in 1750.
Land-use changes
Dr Canadell said CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use changes are projected to increase in 2024.
“Globally, emissions from land-use change have decreased by 20% in the past decade but are rising this year, along with fossil fuel emissions,” he said.
“We have observed over the past two years how the capacity of natural CO₂ sinks on land, which absorb carbon from the atmosphere – mainly forests – has declined due to drought in the Amazon and fires in Canada.”
“The CO₂ sinks have begun to recover but the data underscores how vulnerable they are to droughts and extreme heat, which are increasing with global warming.”
COP29 launch
The 2024 Global Carbon Budget was launched today at COP29, the United Nations climate change conference in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The project is supported with funding from the Australian government under the National Environmental Science Program’s Climate Systems Hub.
While there has been a decline in global CO₂ emissions across 22 countries, the Global Carbon Budget indicates a 50% chance of exceeding the Paris Agreement’s warming target within six years.