In 2010, the world’s emission of carbon dioxide has reached its highest ever recorded growth in history. co₂lutions estimates that goods transport alone contributes to 11% of the total percentage of CO₂ emissions. From 1990 until 2008, the increase in emissions from transport (including personal travel) has reached 34% while other sectors decreased by 14 %. This has put transport in increasing focus amongst CO₂ policy makers.

The European Union Emission Trading Scheme has taken the initiative in this issue by including air transport in their plans for the following year.  Despite their best efforts however, Fatih Birol of the International Energy Agency remains adamant that the world still needs a push to avoid dangerous climate change. He adds that, "Every year we don't have an (climate change) agreement, every year we don't give a clear signal to pave the way for renewable energies and other clean energy technologies, the room for maneuvering to get to our 2020 target shrinks."

According to IEA estimates, the CO₂ emissions in 2010 skyrocketed to 30.6 billion tons mainly because of the increasingly huge amounts of coal, oil and natural gas being used. This is an alarming rate that could evidently cause difficulty in achieving the target of less than 2-degree Celsius of carbon dioxide emissions. The highest contributors of CO₂ production are the coal-based up-and-coming economies of China and India, along with other countries highly reliant on coal.

Climate change is inevitable already now - but this does not mean that we should stand idly by. If anything, these alarming numbers should be the “Go” signal for governments to initiate resolutions. The delay in climate change agreements and policies only allow the situation to worsen. For instance, most countries still have no decision regarding the support for alternative energy technologies and the Kyoto Protocol is yet to be realized for the future.

Countries have to work together to boost a worldwide campaign on reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Such a feat is not impossible if each country in the world does its part. Unless our world leaders can agree on binding policies for cutting their CO₂ emissions, the world will soon see for itself the very real dangers of climate change.