Energy-related carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2010 were the highest in history, according to the latest estimates by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Global carbon emissions increased 5 percent in 2010 against a dip due to economic crisis the previous year, IEA said in a statement.

The result comes as a great shock as the world leaders had agreed to cut down on emissions and bring down the global temperature by 2C at the UN climate change talks in Cancun last year.

Further, the IEA has estimated that 80 percent of projected emissions from the power sector in 2020 are already locked in.

“This significant increase in CO2 emissions and the locking in of future emissions due to infrastructure investments represent a serious setback to our hopes of limiting the global rise in temperature to no more than 2ºC,” said Dr Fatih Birol, Chief Economist at the IEA.

China and India together emitted about 7.3 tonnes of carbon as their economic growth accelerated, IEA said, adding that OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries collectively emitted 10 tonnes.

China India Climate change Climate change