BP: 2020 Energy Consumption Showed Largest Decline Since 1945, While Renewable Capacity Increased

BP has published its 2021 Statistical Review of World Energy, and finds that energy consumption worldwide declined 4.5 per cent in 2020, the largest decline since 1945, mostly due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Carbon emissions decrease 6.3 per cent for the year, again, the largest decline since 1945.

While overall energy consumption declined, there was an increase in global solar, wind and hydroelectric capacity.

BP’s CEO Bernard Looney states in the report:

“There are worrying signs that last year’s COVID-induced dip in carbon emissions will be short lived as the world economy recovers and lockdowns are lifted. The challenge is to achieve sustained, comparable year-on-year reductions in emissions without massive disruption to our livelihoods and our everyday lives.”

Summary of the data can be found here:

https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/business-sites/en/global/corporate/pdfs/energy-economics/statistical-review/bp-stats-review-2021-at-a-glance.pdf

Full report is at this link:

https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/energy-economics/statistical-review-of-world-energy.html