Fossil fuel emissions rise again - but renewables boom offers hope for climate

Carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels are forecast to reach a new high in 2025 but could soon peak.

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It is another sign that efforts to fight climate change by cutting emissions are moving far too slowly to meet international targets, as countries meet in Brazil for UN climate talks COP30.

But emissions have grown much less quickly over the past decade as renewables have taken off, providing hope that the world's warming trend can still be curbed.

And separate analysis by clean energy think tank Ember suggests that fossil fuel use in electricity generation has flatlined in 2025, largely thanks to the rapid growth of solar power.

It adds weight to the idea that global emissions may be nearing a peak – even though it's hard to say exactly when that might come.