cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/54245880
The U.S. war with Iran has raised fossil fuel prices so much that the resulting drop in oil demand has put the world on track to see a rare dip in carbon emissions from these sources in 2026.
Between 2019 and 2025, carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels grew by about 0.8 percent annually, according to a new study published in Nature Climate Change. But 2026 is set to buck that trend: high oil prices, as well as the continued rise of green technology—solar power, wind and electric cars—will cause a “short-term” 0.4 percent drop, according to the study.
“The high petrol prices following the war in Iran are reducing oil use and keeping emissions low,” says the study’s lead author Corinne Le Quéré, a professor of climate change science at the University of East Anglia in England. “But that’s not the whole story: The expansion of renewable energy has progressed a lot in recent years, led by China. And [along with electric vehicles], this is offsetting two thirds of the growing demand for energy.”
With all sources of carbon considered, including deforestation, total global CO2 emissions are set to continue increasing.
It’s not a peoples problem, at least not fully. The problem is a government and car manufacturers problem. The government needs to massively invest into public charging infrastructure, cos not everyone owns their own house where they simply can install a wallbox and charge comfortably at home. Especially nowadays, where ever fewer people can afford a home in the first place. You could give people an EV for free and it would still of no use for a lot of them simply cos they have no place to charge it. And car manufacturers need to focus more on affordable EVs as well instead of on SUVs for like 60k or whatever. Also, not everyone likes to drive an SUV. But to be fair that’s also a problem with ICE cars that those get constantly bigger and compact cars are going extinct. We should do it like Japan with their Kei-Cars.