Carbon dioxide emissions from energy consumption grew by 0.1 percent last year in their smallest advance since 2009 due to lower coal use and sluggish growth, BP said on Wednesday in its annual energy review.
Last year's rise, which slowed from 0.5 percent in 2014, took global CO2 emissions from energy use to around 33.508 billion tonnes, BP said in its annual Statistical Review of World Energy.
"Last year saw a flattening of carbon emissions from energy consumption. That's come about from slowing demand growth and a shift away from coal to natural gas and renewables in the energy mix," Chief Executive Bob Dudley said on a webcast.
"But it is only a very small step in the right direction given the scale of the challenge (to reduce emissions)," he said.
Global primary energy consumption rose by 1 percent in 2015, below a 1.1 percent rise in 2014 and the 10-year annual average of 1.9 percent, the review showed.
Coal consumption fell by 1.8 percent versus a 10-year annual average of 2.1 percent growth.
Coal's share of global primary energy consumption fell to 29.2 percent, taking its lowest share since 2005.
Emissions growth was below average in every region except Europe and Eurasia, BP said.
Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Union, estimated last month that the EU's CO2 emissions from energy use in 2015 increased by 0.7 percent. (Reuters)
PHOTO: Smoke billows from the chimneys of Belchatow Power Station, Europe's biggest coal-fired power plant, in this May 7, 2009 file photo.
CREDIT: REUTERS/PETER ANDREWS/FILES.