Rising energy demands could result in irreversible global warming by 2017 without strict new standards, an energy watchdog group said this week in London.
The International Energy Agency said in its latest World Energy Outlook, released Wednesday, that a "remarkable" 5 percent jump in global primary energy demand last year pushed greenhouse gas emissions to a new high due to the rebound of the world's economies following the 2008 financial crisis.
And that, it said, bodes ill for efforts to reach a long-term target of limiting the global average temperature increase to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels -- especially with moves by governments to shift resources away from developing clean energy technologies as more economic problems arise.
"Without further action by 2017, the energy-related infrastructure then in place would generate all the CO2 emissions allowed" to keep the temperature rise at 2 degrees or lower, the report said.