BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019: an unsustainable path

BP today released the 68th annual edition of the BP Statistical Review of World Energy (BP Stats Review), the most comprehensive collection and analysis of global energy data. 

This year's edition highlights the growing divergence between demands for action on climate change and the actual pace of progress on reducing carbon emissions. 

Key findings from the BP Stats Review 2019 include: 

• Global energy demand grew by 2.9% and carbon emissions grew by 2.0% in 2018, faster than at any time since 2010-11. 
• Natural gas consumption and production was up over 5%, one of the strongest rates of growth for both demand and output for over 30 years. 
• Renewables grew by 14.5%, nearing their record-breaking increase in 2017, but this still accounted for only around a third of the increase in total power generation. 
• Coal consumption (+1.4%) and production (+4.3%) increased for the second year in a row in 2018, following three years of decline (2014-16). 
• The United States recorded the largest-ever annual production increases by any country for both oil and natural gas, the vast majority of increases coming from onshore shale plays. 

Introducing the findings for 2018, Spencer Dale, BP chief economist, said: "There is a growing mismatch between societal demands for action on climate change and the actual pace of progress, with energy demand and carbon emissions growing at their fastest rate for years. The world is on an unsustainable path."

"The longer carbon emissions continue to rise, the harder and more costly will be the necessary eventual adjustment to net-zero carbon emissions," concluded Bob Dudley, BP group chief executive. "As I have said before, this is not a race to renewables, but a race to reduce carbon emissions across many fronts." 

The BP Statistical Review of World Energy and other related materials are available online at www.bp.com/statisticalreview. 

Notes to editors

• The BP Statistical Review of World Energy and other material is available online at www.bp.com/statisticalreview 

• In addition to the latest printed edition, the website also contains: 

• Historical data from 1965 for many sections; 

• Additional data for oil, natural gas, coal, hydroelectricity, nuclear energy, electricity and renewables, as well as CO2 emissions from energy use; 

• PDF versions and PowerPoint slide packs of the charts, maps and graphs, plus an Excel workbook of the data; 

• Regional factsheets; 

• Videos and speeches. 
  

Further information

Contacts

BP press office, London: +44 (0)20 7496 4076, bppress@bp.com

BP disclaims any obligation to update the material contained in this press release. Neither BP p.l.c. nor any of its subsidiaries (nor their respective officers, employees and agents) accept liability for any inaccuracies or omissions or for any direct, indirect, special, consequential or other losses or damages of whatsoever kind in connection to this press release or any information contained in it.