Global energy demand dropped by an estimated 5% in 2020, leading to declines of 8% in oil demand, 7% in coal, and 3% in natural gas, resulting in a 7% drop in total energy-related CO2 emissions.  The contribution of renewables to the mix has actually increased slightly despite a 2% fall in global electricity demand and an 18% drop in energy investment, providing a positive environmental side to what was otherwise a challenging year for the human world. The reality is, however, that we cannot reproduce the unprecedented energy consumption characteristics of 2020. We will have to face the same dire environmental situation we were facing before the pandemic began, and our buildings remain key to the problem and the solution “Despite a record drop in global emissions this year, the world is far from doing enough to put them into decisive decline,” said Dr. Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the IEA. “The economic downturn […]