Global demand for energy increased at the fastest pace in 2018

Global energy demand in 2018 increased at the fastest pace in the decade, the International Energy Agency said. Demand rose 2.3 percent, driven by "the strength of the global economy and strong demand for heating and cooling in some areas," the Paris-based agency said in a report released on Tuesday.

As a result, energy-related carbon emissions rose by 1.7 percent a year. A third of that increase came from the use of coal in power generation, especially from the most modern power plants in Asia. Carbon dioxide is largely responsible for climate change and global warming.

At the United Nations climate conference in Paris in 2016, some 190 countries, including the United States, agreed to the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, with several countries setting national emission reduction targets.