De-carbonization of global energy use during the COVID-19 pandemic

Zhu Liu, Biqing Zhu, Philippe Ciais, Steven J. Davis, Chenxi Lu, Haiwang Zhong, Piyu Ke, Yanan Cui, Zhu Deng, Duo Cui, Taochun Sun, Xinyu Dou, Jianguang Tan, Rui Guo, Bo Zheng, Katsumasa Tanaka, Wenli Zhao and Pierre Gentine

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Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted human activities, leading to unprecedented decreases in both global energy demand and GHG emissions. Yet a little known that there is also a low carbon shift of the global energy system in 2020. Here, using the near-real-time data on energy-related GHG emissions from 30 countries (about 70% of global power generation), we show that the pandemic caused an unprecedented de-carbonization of global power system, representing by a dramatic decrease in the carbon intensity of power sector that reached a historical low of 414.9 tCO2eq/GWh in 2020. Moreover, the share of energy derived from renewable and low-carbon sources (nuclear, hydro-energy, wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass) exceeded that from coal and oil for the first time in history in May of 2020. The decrease in global net energy demand (-1.3% in the first half of 2020 relative to the average of the period in 2016-2019) masks a large down-regulation of fossil-fuel-burning power plants supply (-6.1%) coincident with a surge of low-carbon sources (+6.2%). Concomitant changes in the diurnal cycle of electricity demand also favored low-carbon generators, including a flattening of the morning ramp, a lower midday peak, and delays in both the morning and midday load peaks in most countries. However, emission intensities in the power sector have since rebounded in many countries, and a key question for climate mitigation is thus to what extent countries can achieve and maintain lower, pandemic-level carbon intensities of electricity as part of a green recovery.

Date: 2021-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ene, nep-env and nep-reg
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