Global fossil-fuel CO₂ emissions may dip in 2026. Hold the victory lap.

Global fossil-fuel CO₂ emissions are projected to fall 0.4% in 2026, but researchers warn that one dip doesn’t establish a lasting peak. They point to the Iran war’s energy shock alongside expanding solar, wind and electric vehicles. Including land-use change, total CO₂ emissions are still projected to rise. Clean technology is doing real work; it isn’t yet doing enough to make the decline stick.