Despite rapid growth in renewable energy, global CO₂ emissions remain high. Which of the following best explains why we are failing to meet the Paris Agreement targets?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To approach this question, I will evaluate each option in turn and explain why it is or isn’t consistent with why Paris Agreement targets are not being met.
Option a: 'Fossil fuel use continues to dominate global energy supply, driving most CO₂ emissions.' This is the core, widely supported explanation: the majority of global energy still comes from coal, oil, and natural gas, so emissions remain high despite growth in renewables. In other words, even with rapid renewable expansion, the ongoing dominance of fossil fuels keeps total emissions well above targets.
Option b: 'Paris Agreement targets were based on unrealistic assumptions about energy demand.' While some critiques exist about modeling assumptions, this statement generalizes the targets as inherently unrealistic and does not address the primary cause—continued fossil fuel use. It is not the best explanation because even with different demand assumptions, emissions would still be strongly linked to fossil fuel consumption.
Option c: 'Renewable energy sources emit more CO₂ than fossil fuels.' This is factually incorrect in typical lifecycle terms: renewables generally have far lower lifecycle emissions than fossil fuels, especially after construction. Therefore, this claim misstates the comparative emissions profile and weakens the argument for a main driver of failure to meet targets.
Option d: 'Carbon capture technologies have eliminated the need for emission reductions.' This is false; carbon capture and storage (CCS) is not yet implemented at scales that eliminate the need for reductions, and it does not remove the obligation to cut emissions. It overstates CCS capabilities and misleads about policy requirements.
Option e: 'Renewable energy adoption has slowed in recent years.' In many analyses, the deployment of renewables has accelerated or remained strong in several regions, and a slowdown is not the universal trend driving missing targets. This option does not accurately capture the dominant reason or global trend behind the gap to Paris targets.
Putting it together, option a provides the most accurate and comprehensive explanation: the continued dominance of fossil fuels in the global energy mix keeps emissions high, undermining Paris goals. The other options either state incorrect facts, mischaracterize technologies, or attribute causation to secondary issues.

CCST9086_1A_2025 Quiz6

Despite rapid growth in renewable energy, global CO₂ emissions remain high. Which of the following best explains why we are failing to meet the Paris Agreement targets?

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