Ah, the classic opening line: “I have good news and bad news, which do you want to hear first?” 

I always like the bad news first so I can end on a positive note. So the bad news about CO2 emissions is that energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose to a record level in 2023 according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Frustrating news, for sure, based on all the initiatives taking place in the world today to reduce greenhouse gases. 

And the good news? CO2 emissions growth slowed from previous years thanks to continued expansion of clean technologies. Said the IEA: “Without technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, nuclear power and electric cars, the global increase in energy-related CO2 emissions over the last five years would have been three times larger than the 900 million tonnes registered.”

So we're getting better. That IS good news. And according to this report one significant reason the emissions rose was because of droughts around the world hampering hydro-electric output. “Without the water shortfalls, global carbon emissions from power generation alone would have fallen last year,” the article reported.