Carbon emissions from fossil fuels reached record levels, but the 2012 rise was relatively small, and there are positive signs.

As Fiona Harvey reported for The Guardian, the International Energy Agency (IEA) 2012 World Energy Outlook Report found that annual carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels rose 1.4 percent in 2012 to 31.6 billion tonnes (gigatonnes [Gt]). The bad news is that this is a new record high level of emissions. The good news is that it represents the second-smallest annual increase since 2003, behind only 2009 when global fossil fuel carbon emissions fell due to the global recession. Emissions estimates from 2009-2010 have also been revised downward, so the reported 31.6 Gt 2012 emissions match the reported value from 2011.

American emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels fell by 200 million tonnes (Mt) to levels last seen in the mid-1990s due to a transition from coal power to natural gas and renewable energy. European emissions fell 50 Mt due to economic contraction and renewable energy growth, despite an increase in coal energy use. Perhaps most encouraging, although Chinese emissions grew by 300 Mt in 2012, this was among the country's smallest annual emissions growth over the past decade. This is a result of China diversifying its energy sources and installing more renewable energy.

American emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels fell by 200 million tonnes (Mt) to levels last seen in the mid-1990s due to a transition from coal power to natural gas and renewable energy. European emissions fell 50 Mt due to economic contraction and renewable energy growth, despite an increase in coal energy use. Perhaps most encouraging, although Chinese emissions grew by 300 Mt in 2012, this was among the country's smallest annual emissions growth over the past decade. This is a result of China diversifying its energy sources and installing more renewable energy.

David Fuller's view We need some luck with climate change but risks have concentrated inventive minds in many countries. Green technologies continue to improve, not least solar, but are still somewhat inefficient and unreliable. They will continue to develop but three other steps have an even better chance of lowering CO2 emissions between now and 2020, in my opinion:

1) Least controversially, continue to increase energy efficiency in buildings, transportation and industry.

2) Develop the production, transportation and consumption of natural gas, which is plentiful and the least polluting fossil fuel.

3) More controversially, speed up the development of new nuclear because it is efficient and adds no CO2 emissions to the atmosphere.