After lockdowns were eased, EU greenhouse gas emissions surged by 18%

After lockdowns eased in the European Union, the greenhouse gas emissions went up by 18 per cent. "Greenhouse gas emissions in the second quarter of 2021 increased by 18% compared with the same quarter in the previous year. This is largely due to the effect of the economic rebound after the sharp decrease of activity in the same quarter of 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis," read a statement by Eurostat.

The report by Eurostat states that during the second quarter of 2021, EU greenhouse gas emissions were at 867 million tonnes.

The lowest value was recorded in the second quarter of 2020, which was during the pandemic.

The sudden increase in emissions could be attributed to the economic sectors, including manufacture and construction, electricity supply, agriculture, transport services and several other services other than transport.

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The report also made comparisons of greenhouse gas emissions in the second quarter of 2021 with the same period of the previous year in various sectors as it states, "The emissions by households for heating increased by 42 per cent and for transportation by 25 per cent. Emissions by manufacture and construction increased by 22 per cent, transport services by 18 per cent, electricity supply by 17 per cent and services other than transport by 13 per cent".

Meanwhile, earlier in July this year, International Energy Agency said that global greenhouse gas emissions will grow again this year and next year. The IEA predicted in its latest report monitoring pandemic recovery efforts worldwide that governments had provided $380 billion in clean energy support out of a total of $16 trillion in pandemic support. 

Even if all of these steps were implemented on time, the world would still be “far from what is required to put the world on a road to net-zero emissions by mid-century,” according to the report.