The Facts of Climate Progress

“The latest data show European Union countries slashed emissions eight per cent in a single year in 2023, the largest drop in decades outside the COVID-19 years. That left its collective emissions 37 per cent lower than 1990 levels, all while the economy grew nearly 70 per cent bigger. The EU remains on track to cut emissions 55 per cent below where they were in 1990 by 2030.”

“In the United Kingdom, the country has already seen emissions fall by more than half since the same baseline year.”

“When it comes to electric vehicles, for example, more than half of the vehicles in China—the world’s largest auto-market—are expected to come with a plug-in this year. The remarkable growth in EVs in China helped make 2024 another record year for EV sales globally. On wind and solar, China continues to break its own records. Clean power installations soared last year, as the country hit its 2030 renewable target six years ahead of schedule. That helped stall growth in China’s national emissions.”

“There is more good news in other parts of the globe. Major polluting nations like Indonesia, for example, have committed to phasing out coal by 2040, which will require a huge ramp up in renewables. We’ve also seen huge progress across Latin America and the Caribbean as countries including Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay add new clean electricity to their grids.”