A report published by the Energy Institute (EI) has revealed that 2023 saw record global energy consumption, with coal and oil pushing fossil fuels and their emissions to record levels, despite a record increase in renewable energy power.

The EI, the chartered professional membership body for people who work across the world of energy, has released the 73rd annual edition of the Statistical Review of World Energy. This analyses data on world energy markets from the prior year.

The report – co-authored with KPMG, a multinational professional services network, and Kearney, a global management consulting firm, with additional research undertaken by Heriot-Watt University – presents full global energy data for 2023.

It found that in 2023 global primary energy use climbed to a record high of 620 Exajoules (EJ), up 2% on the previous year. 1EJ is equivalent to about 170 million barrels of oil.

Fossil fuels’ share in the overall energy mix dropped slightly from 82% to 81.5%. However, emissions...