Each year, 37 gigatons of CO2 are released into the atmosphere, mainly by human activities (combustion of fossil fuels, deforestation, etc.). Here are the first contributing countries, the evolution of their emissions and the classification of CO emissions2 per inhabitant.
You will also be interested
The emissions global CO2 tripled between 1970 and 2017, and the trend does not seem to be reversing. We are thus far from the trajectory of the Paris agreement to stay below 2 ° C, which would require a drastic reduction in our emissions. Since the turn of the century, China in particular has experienced exponential growth in its CO emissions2, parallel to its sustained economic growth (between 7% and 10% per year). The country is largely fueled by coal, the most polluting energy, its emissions have logically exploded.
The 10 countries that emit the most CO2
With 9.84 billion tonnes of CO2 emitted in 2017, China is by far the leading emitter of greenhouse gases, ahead of the United States and India. However, it would be unfair to blame it for global warming, as the country exports the majority of the goods made in its factories … for our consumption. The rich countries have somehow “delocalized” their pollution to Asia. With emissions of 356 million tonnes of CO2 in 2017, France is one of the good students, thanks to its industry nuclear, unlike Germany still dependent on coal.
The 10 countries that emit the most CO2 per inhabitant
With nearly 50 tonnes of CO2 per year, Qatar is the biggest emitter of CO2 per capita, followed by Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. By comparison, each French person emits “only” 5.48 tonnes of CO2 per year. No wonder: these Gulf countries emit large amounts of CO2 because of’oil exploitation and gas, and as they are sparsely populated, the per capita ratio is very high. Other big polluters: the United States, little known for its energy sobriety, and Australia, the latter being 80% dependent on coal.
Interested in what you just read?
.
fs12