Renewables soar, but fossil fuels continue to grow as global electricity demand rises

The world saw a 2% annual increase in total energy demand, reaching a new high of 592 EJ.

In a year when average air temperatures consistently exceeded the 1.5°C warming threshold, global CO₂ equivalent emissions from energy rose by 1%, another record, the fourth in as many years, according to the latest edition of the Statistical Review of World Energy, conducted by the Energy Institute in collaboration with Kearney and KPMG.

CO₂ emissions from energy grew by 0.8% in 2024 to a new annual record

The IEA explains that this concentration rose last year to 422.5 CO₂ particles per million air particles, three more than in 2023. Wind and solar alone grew by an impressive 16% in 2024, nine times faster than total energy demand. However, this growth did not fully offset the increase in demand in other areas, as total fossil fuel use grew by just over 1%, highlighting a transition defined by both disorder and progress, according to the report’s authors.

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