CO2 emissions need to reach net zero by 2050 to limit global warming to 1.5°C
Climate change, driven by natural and human factors like fossil fuel use, agriculture, and deforestation, is altering global weather patterns and causing disruptions to water resources, ecosystems, and crop yields. Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, trap solar radiation, leading to global warming, especially in oceans. Scientific evidence indicates a higher risk of significant environmental changes if global temperatures rise beyond 2°C above pre-industrial levels. Since 1992, most countries have been part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, a treaty providing a framework for international cooperation for combating climate change. This was followed by the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 which commits its developed country Parties to internationally binding emission reduction targets, and the Paris Agreement in 2015 which sets out an international action plan to limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. Achieving these targets requires systemic changes in global emission patterns. The energy sector can contribute through demand-side interventions, energy efficiency, flexible systems, and renewable energy sources to help mitigate climate impacts and limit temperature rise.
Learn more about climate change and emissions by exploring our Energy Insights.
For details on the progress in achieving the global and national climate change targets read the New Energy World analyses.
Discover UK energy professionals' views of the best measures to reach emissions targets by reading our annual Energy Barometer.
2023
was the warmest year on record since recordkeeping began in 1880 (NASA)
0billion
metric tonnes of ice per year on average was shed from the Antarctic ice sheet between 2002 and 2023 (NASA)
0%
of greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector in 2022 were CO2 emissions from energy combustion and industrial processes (IEA)
0%
increase in carbon dioxide emissions from flaring was seen from 2022 to 2023 (Statistical Review of World Energy)
What's new?
EU 2040 emissions reduction target holds its line on climate, but climate groups warn that loopholes threaten its integrity
9th July 2025
Announcing its new proposal on 2 July, the EC reported that the EU is already ‘well on track’ to meet its existing legally binding goal of reducing ne...
UK schools accelerate solar shift with new investment
2nd July 2025
The first of six planned rooftop solar PV installations at Wellspring Academy Trust schools was installed at Springwell Alternative Academy Grantham i...
Oil supply growth outpaces demand as fossil fuel phaseout could fall short ahead of COP30
2nd July 2025
With intensifying geopolitical strains and heightened uncertainty about global economic prospects, oil markets are undergoing structural changes as th...
Four timely new reports offer both optimism and concern about the pace of the energy transition
2nd July 2025
WEF Energy Transition Index accelerates – but UK ranks 16thThe World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2025 Energy Transition Index (ETI) shows an an...
UK government confirms £13.2bn Warm Homes Plan amid criticism of retrofit policy failures
18th June 2025
The £13.2bn of funding for the Warm Homes Plan was originally promised as part of the Labour government’s manifesto. Reeves confirmed the full funding...
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Technical guidance publications
EI 3588
Recommended practices for methane emissions detection and quantification technologies – upstream
May 2025
Responding to the continuous advancement of technology, the Energy Institute, Ipieca, IOGP, and OGCI have updated their guidance and online tool to su...
EI 3538
Energy retail station sites green guide: opportunities to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
August 2023
The energy and fuel retail sector is one of many industries expected to undergo considerable disruption in the next decade to meet the emerging challe...
EI 3471
EI Research report: Evolution of condition monitoring requirements for combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plants
September 2021
Combined cycle has turbine (CCGT) power plants were originally designed for baseload operation however this has changed (particularly in the UK), e.g....
HSE 199 Understanding your energy culture
July 2017
Understanding your energy culture is a new tool adapted from the well-known Understanding your HSE culture tool. The Energy Institute has adapted the...
EI 3570
Research report: Circular economy indicators, potential for use in the oil and gas industry (2nd edition)
June 2025
This report explores how to measure circular economy (CE) practices in the oil and gas (O&G) industry. Developed in partnership with Ipieca, it outlin...