Global fossil fuel consumption has not increased every year in modern times, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data.
The EIA has compiled data on global consumption of the three major fossil fuels—coal, oil and gas—from 1980 through 2018. In those years:
• Annual coal consumption was less than in a previous year 15 times.
• Annual oil consumption was less than in a previous year 10 times.
• Annual natural gas consumption was less than in a previous year three times.
Total energy consumption, which includes fossil fuels, nuclear energy and renewables, was less than in a previous year three times.
Between 1966-2019 in five top energy-consuming countries across Asia and the Middle East, annual fossil fuel consumption relative to the previous year has decreased twice in China, once in India, 21 times in Japan, once in South Korea and five times in Saudi Arabia.