Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions are estimated to increase by 1.5 billion tonnes in 2021 - the biggest annual rise in emissions since 2010, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). This increase to  be driven by a strong rebound in demand for coal in electricity generation will reverse the gains will reverse most decline in  2020 caused by the  COVID-19 pandemic

As the world enters a second year of the Covid-19 pandemic, the annual Global Energy Review assesses the direction energy demand and carbon dioxide emissions are taking in 2021. The latest statistical data and real-time analysis confirm the initial estimates for 2020 energy demand and CO2 emissions while providing insights into how economic activity and energy use are rebounding in countries around the world – and what this means for global emissions. The accelerating rollouts of Covid-19 vaccinations in many major economies and widespread fiscal responses to the economic crisis are boosting the outlook for economic growth and leading to a rebound in energy demand in 2021. The report explores whether the rebound in activity risks pushing CO2 emissions to a new high and to what degree new policies targeting a sustainable recovery are able to curb a rebound in emissions. [2]