Droughts limiting hydro-electric generation globally prevented a fall in the energy sector's overall carbon emissions in the first half of 2023 despite the growth of wind and solar power, climate think tank Ember said in a report on Thursday.
Total power sector emissions rose by 0.2% in the first half of the year despite wind and solar's share of the global electricity supply rising to 14.3% over the same period, up 1.5% compared to the first half of 2022, Ember data showed.
Some fossil fuel production was used to plug the supply gap, with power generation from coal and gas both rising by 8% in China and 8.1% from gas in the United States, Ember data showed. Growth in solar power supply also helped lower total emissions as 104 TWh was added to the global energy mix with 50 countries setting monthly records, the data showed.