Run-up to COP26: Emissions to rise as focus shifts to recovery, says IEA

Says India's Gati Shakti plan could spur clean energy investment; no other country has any new spending plans

The International Energy Agency (IEA) in its latest “sustainable recovery tracker” has observed that carbon emissions are set to rebound as countries focus on economic recovery following the Covid pandemic.

The IEA noted that global energy-related CO2 emissions are on track for the second largest single-year rebound in history in absolute terms, erasing most of the pandemic-related reduction from 2020.

“This 2021 reb­ound has be­en driven by increased electricity consumption, particularly in Asia, where coal power generation is prevalent. Infra­st­ructure spen­ding has featured in many recovery plans, particularly in emerging market and developing economies, and the demand for material inputs has contributed