Global Carbon Emissions up 2.5% During 2011 - 34 Billion Metric Tons New Record High [View all]

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(Reuters) - Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2011 rose 2.5 percent to 34 billion metric tons (37.48 billion tons) , a new record, Germany's renewable energy institute said on Tuesday.

The IWR, which advises German ministries, cited recovered industrial activity after the end of the global economic crisis of recent years.

"If the current trend is sustained, worldwide CO2 emissions will go up by another 20 percent to over 40 billion metric tons by 2020," IWR director Norbert Allnoch said.

China led the table of emitters in 2011 with 8.9 billion metric tons, up from 8.3 billion a year earlier. Its CO2 output was 50 percent more than the 6 billion metric tons in the United States. India was third, ahead of Russia, Japan and Germany. In May the International Energy Agency said that global CO2 emissions rose 3.2 percent last year to 31.6 billion metric tons, led by China.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/13/entertainment-us-carbon-emissions-study-idUSBRE8AC0J320121113