U.S. Fossil-Fuel Reserves Alone Could Put Global Climate Targets Out of Reach
Author: Heather Richards,
The United States holds enough oil, gas and coal in reserves to burn through the world’s remaining carbon budget and topple existing international climate targets, according to a first-of-its kind database of global fossil fuel stores launched Monday by the think tank Carbon Tracker. Intended to be an ongoing public resource, the Global Registry of Fossil Fuels was published to coincide with climate talks at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, as well as to kick-start a reckoning about the amount of fossil fuels being invested in and developed around the world despite international promises to stem emissions. “The elephant in the room is the continued production of fossil fuels,” said Rob Schuwerk, the executive director of Carbon Tracker North America, at a press event. Incorporating information from 89 countries, the registry, which Carbon Tracker created with Global Energy Monitor, currently covers more than 50,000 oil and gas fields, representing more than 75 percent of global production. It includes reserve, production and emissions data by country, relative to the carbon budget.