A MONSTER leap in carbon dioxide emissions in 2010 has dented but not destroyed optimism that we can avoid the worst effects of climate change.

More CO 2 was emitted in 2010 than in previous years, according to the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Worse, emissions were 5.9 per cent higher than in 2009 – the biggest jump on record.

The rise follows falls in both the price of coal and average winter temperatures in the northern hemisphere. Both have encouraged leading economies to drop their green intentions, according to a new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Leo Johnson, PwC’s head of sustainability strategy, thinks investing in renewable energy in emerging economies could still make a difference, though. “It is all to play for,” he says.