Global CO2 emissions fall in 2009: IWR Institute

Global carbon dioxide emissions in 2009 fell 1.3 percent to 31.3 billion tons, showing the first year-on-year decline in this decade, German renewable energy institute IWR said on Friday, based on official information and its own research.

The private institute, which is located in Muenster and advises German ministries, said climate-harming CO2 output eased due to the worldwide economic crisis and as investments increased in the use of renewable energy sources for electricity, heat and transport fuels.

But the it upheld a recommendation made last year that global investments in renewable energy should be quadrupled to 500 billion Euros ($644.2 billion) a year for the world to reverse the runaway trend in CO2 pollution.

IWR posted a table for 65 countries' carbon dioxide emissions in 2009 and its related investment recommendations, expressed in billions of euros annually per country.

These are based on calculations of how much it believes each country should spend on renewable, due to its output, in order to stabilize overall fossil fuels consumption.

The figures are based on a scenario of European carbon emissions permits priced at 16 Euros a ton. The current market price for the permits, called EU Allowances, is around 14.5 Euros.