Economy grows as CO2 emissions drop, making mockery of Trump climate policy
https://thinkprogress.org/economy-grows-as-co2-emissions-drop-making-mockery-of-trump-climate-policy-41f4ae8f9196#.ka1s0ys2p
The premise of President Donald Trumps plan to kill the Environmental Protection Agencys carbon pollution standards is that restricting CO2 hurts the economy. But Trumps oft-repeated claim that EPA standards kill jobs is bogus.
Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions were flat for a third straight year in 2016 even as the global economy grew, the International Energy Agency reported Friday, signaling a continuing decoupling of emissions and economic activity.
In fact, while CO2 emissions were flat, the global economy grew 3.1 percent.
Renewables, coal-to-gas switching, and improvements in energy efficiency contributed to stalling emissions growth last year, the IEA explained. In 2016, renewables supplied more than half the global electricity demand growth.
What has been happening in this country is even more remarkable. The IEA noted, emissions in the United States last year were at their lowest level since 1992, a period during which the economy grew by 80 percent.
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