Coal, once the sole source of CO2 emissions, now accounts for only 40% of emissions. However, fossil fuels remain the largest contributors to CO₂ emissions, with oil and gas contributing 32% and 21%, respectively. A diverse energy mix is a recent phenomenon. In the 18th century, coal and its derivatives became the dominant energy source, replacing traditional sources like wood, beeswax, and sperm oil. The emergence of major oil companies in the 1800s and the rise of automobiles drove the use of oil as a source of fuel, which led to oil surpassing coal as the largest source of emissions in the 1960s. Gas usage also gained momentum during this time as a more efficient source of power generation. While renewable energy has gained traction recently, outpacing fossil fuels as the predominant source of energy production globally remains a distant prospect.