Worldwide energy demand could shrink as much as 6 percent this year, according to the International Energy Agency, which cited a “staggering decline across all the fuels… except renewables,” said Fatih Birol, the IEA’s executive director.
As demand for other fuel sources withered, renewable power’s market grew during 2020’s first quarter.
The drop in energy use will drop global carbon dioxide emissions by about 8 percent this year to a level not seen since 2010.
“If the right policies are not put in place, we may well see a rebound in emissions” as the global economy unlocks and recovers, Birol warned.
