New global renewable power record set in 2017, but emissions are still rising

A feature in Quartz—by London reporter Akshat Rathi—uses two charts to explore why emissions are still rising, despite a record-breaking expansion of renewable-power capacity last year.

Akshat Rathi explains:

“World demand for energy increased by 2.1 percent last year, and low-carbon sources could not keep pace. As a result, the world’s energy-related carbon emissions rose by 1.7 percent, the first rise in four years.”

He concludes:

“It’s an important reminder that, despite all the talk about the growth of renewables, we still rely heavily on fossil fuels.”