World carbon emissions in 2017 are projected to rise for the first time in four years, dashing hopes that a peak might soon be reached. The main cause for the rise has been greater use of coal in China. The new data indicate that in 2017 emissions of CO2 from all human activities grew by about 2% globally. The Global Carbon Project found 21 countries — including the United States, Britain, France, Germany, and Sweden — have managed to cut their emissions significantly while growing their economies over the past decade. Under the Paris agreement, China has pledged that its overall emissions will peak by 2030. China’s emissions growth appeared to be slowing in 2017, while India’s carbon dioxide emissions increased just 2 percent this year, in contrast to
the 6 percent annual growth seen over the past decade.