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  1. Home
  2. Energy economics
  3. Statistical Review of World Energy
  4. CO₂ emissions

CO₂ emissions

What happened to the energy system in 2021 and why does it matter?

The increase in carbon emissions in 2021 was driven by the rebound in economic growth

Explore the data in more detail via our energy charting tool

Emissions from energy rebounded strongly in 2021 back to around 2019 levels.


The sharp rebound in emissions in 2021 was  explained by economic growth. As economic activity recovered from lockdowns and other Covid related measures, energy consumption increased sharply. Carbon intensity and, to lesser extent, energy intensity did not improve in 2021.

Information about the methodology
Statistical Review of World Energy pdf / 6.1 MB
Statistical Review of World Energy – all data, 1965-2021 xlsx / 3.2 MB
2021 at a glance pdf / 439.2 KB
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