After an average 0.4% yearly improvement over the 2010-2019 period, and a stagnation in 2020, the global carbon factor deteriorates in 2021, with a 0.5% increase (the first increase since 2013).

In 2021, the global carbon factor (CO₂ emissions per toe of energy consumed) increased by 0.5%, the first increase since 2013. Within G7 countries, the carbon factor rebounded by +1.1%, compared to the downwards trend observed over 2000-2019 (-0.6%). Especially the carbon factor deteriorated in the UK (+4.1%), in the EU (+1.7%, with a surge of +3.7% Germany), in the USA (+1.5%), Canada (+1.1%), whereas Japan experiences a 2.7% decrease. The rebound was also important in Africa (+1.9%), in the Middle East (+1.4%) and to a lesser extent in Latin America (+0.4%).