Q&A: Carbon emissions will reach record high in 2019, thanks to the burning of fossil fuels

A climate change milestone is upon us: The amount of carbon dioxide released by burning fossil fuels is projected to hit 37 billion tons this year, setting another record high.

The global tally, by an international team of scientists, makes 2019 the third consecutive year with rising CO2 emissions.

The good news (relatively speaking) is that the rate of growth slowed significantly in 2019. The amount of CO2 released this year was only 0.6% higher than it was the year before. That compares with growth rates of 2.1% in 2018 and 1.5% in 2017.

But Rob Jackson,