Among the richest countries in the world, China is the largest emitter of planet-warming gases. Following it are Indonesia and Brazil. Here is a closer look at their per-capita emissions over time. This ranking gives equal weight to the emissions of past and present populations.
Rich countries emit the world’s planet-warming gases
According to the UN’s recent climate report, the world’s richest nations account for more than half of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions. These nations use industry and fossil fuels to generate greenhouse gases, which have led to global warming of around 1.1 degrees Celsius. As a result, we are experiencing more severe heat waves and droughts. These disasters are causing poorer countries to ask for more money from the richer nations to adapt to these hazards.
According to the report, the top 10 percent of the world’s wealthiest citizens are responsible for half of all the world’s carbon emissions, while the bottom half of the planet contributes only 12% of global emissions. The rich are also responsible for the most significant portion of these emissions: 74 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions come from the richest countries.
However, the data shows that these countries have contributed less to global emissions in the past. Although poor countries emit fewer greenhouse gases than their richer neighbors, they are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and the rising sea levels. In addition to this, they are more likely to live in vulnerable areas or work in jobs that are climate-sensitive. Moreover, they also lack the resources to adapt to climate changes.
The rich countries are speeding through their carbon budget. The carbon budget is the amount of carbon dioxide that we can add to the atmosphere without raising global temperatures more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. This goal was set by governments in the Paris Agreement. Yet, despite the agreement, annual emissions grew 60 percent from 1990 to 2015. The richest five percent were responsible for nearly half of the growth. Meanwhile, the poorest 50 percent could not meet their needs with current emissions.
China is the biggest emitter
Today, China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases. This is due to its rapid economic development and the burning of coal. In fact, China has more CO2 emissions than the US, the EU, Japan, and all developed countries combined. The amount of CO2 China emits tripled in the last three decades, surpassing the US as the biggest emitter for the first time. It is responsible for more than 25% of the world’s emissions every year.
But China’s emissions are not the only problem. Other nations are also big polluters. Some Chinese cities release huge amounts of greenhouse gases, comparable to those of European cities. In addition, some Asian cities have a higher population density than U.S. cities, so their per-capita emissions are comparable to those of European cities.
Although China is the largest emitter of planet-warming gases, it has begun to take proactive steps to fight climate change. In 2009, it signed the Copenhagen Accord on climate change. And in 2016, it ratified the Paris Agreement, which is an agreement among 195 countries to reduce carbon emissions. This stands in contrast to the US’s recent decision to withdraw from the agreement. Additionally, President Xi Jinping has made it clear that China is taking responsibility for its climate change emissions. He has appointed the Ministry of Ecological Environment to take the lead in the country’s battle against emissions.
The government pledged to cut its carbon intensity by 2060, which measures how much carbon China emits per dollar of GDP. However, if economic growth continues to outpace reductions in emissions, total emissions levels could rise.
Indonesia is the second biggest emitter
Indonesia is a major emitter of greenhouse gases, and a growing middle class is adding to this problem. The country plans to add more than 100 coal-fired power plants and expand palm oil production for biofuel consumption, which will result in further deforestation of carbon-rich tropical forests. Other problems facing the country include a rapidly expanding middle class and little investment in renewable energy.
The country must do more to reduce its emissions, according to the UN’s Climate Change Treaty. The Kyoto Protocol sets out binding targets for developed nations to reduce their emissions to 1990 levels. However, it is not clear whether Indonesia is meeting its target. Indonesia needs to cut its emissions by a minimum of 19% to stay on track.
The country has made an ambitious climate change pledge. It wants to cut its emissions by 29-41% by 2030. The upper end of the pledge is conditional on international cooperation. This would result in emissions that are at least half of what they were in 2005. The Indonesian government ratified the Paris Agreement in 2016, and aims to decarbonise its economy in phases. This includes improving land use and spatial planning, developing renewable energy, and reducing waste.
The increase in energy consumption has also increased Indonesia’s carbon dioxide emissions. While this is not a new problem, it is a serious one, particularly for developing countries. Fossil fuel use, particularly in forestry, is a major contributor to emissions. As Indonesia’s population grows, the country is expected to increase its energy needs and its CO2 emissions.
Deforestation is also a huge issue in Indonesia. The country is home to some of the world’s largest forests, but deforestation has led to the destruction of peatlands, which store massive amounts of carbon. These are often burned or drained, releasing the carbon into the atmosphere.
Brazil is the third biggest emitter
Brazil is one of the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases (GHG), and the country has made some progress to curb its emissions. The country’s LULUCF (land use, land use change, and forestry) sector accounted for the majority of emissions until 2005. Most of the emissions are from illegal deforestation. However, Brazil is also a major producer of biofuels, mainly from soy and sugarcane.
Brazil has announced a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030, based on the same base year and 4th national inventory. Furthermore, the Brazilian government has committed to achieving zero deforestation by 2020 and planting six million more acres of forest by 2030. These climate-friendly measures will help Brazil meet its commitments to the UNFCCC and other international agreements. However, the country faces many challenges to meet these goals.
In addition to its continued deforestation, Brazil is also contributing to the rising global temperatures. The country’s emissions are primarily caused by deforestation, and it is the largest source of GHG emissions. The country’s energy infrastructure planning has continued to incorporate fossil fuels. However, it is moving in the right direction, with more renewable power generation.
Brazil’s deforestation has large implications for the global CO2 balance. According to a major study, Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has lost nearly 30 percent of its carbon storage in the past decade. These huge carbon losses are contributing to the transformation of tropical forests from global sinks to sources of CO2.
The Amazon biome, which spans nine countries, has been transformed from a carbon dioxide sink to a source of new emissions. While the Amazon as a whole has absorbed more than it has emitted in the past two decades, the Brazilian Amazon emitted 3.6 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent over the same timeframe.
Saudi Arabia is the fourth largest emitter
Saudi Arabia is a significant contributor to the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs), but it’s far from the world’s largest emitter. In 2012, the country ranked 15th in the world, according to the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research. Its emissions are driven by oil and gas production and industrial processes.
Despite being the fourth largest emitter of planet-warmers, Saudi Arabia has actively resisted the United Nations’ climate change recommendations. It has adopted a skeptical approach to climate science, downplaying its impacts, and watered down the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Although Saudi Arabia has shown some signs of acceptance of the Paris Agreement, the country is still far from being a signatory. While the country aims to reduce its annual emissions by 130 million tons of CO2 by 2030, this goal is arbitrary and conditional. It is not legally binding, and Saudi Arabia could change its mind due to economic costs.
The Saudi government’s climate actions are inadequate and insufficient. The country would need to quadruple its efforts in the next decade to reach the “medium” range, and even then it would be less than its fair share in keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.
While the Ministry of Environment would be expected to play an active role in climate change negotiations, they have not. Instead, they’re supporting Aramco and preparing to switch its production from oil to petrochemicals. Saudi Aramco even announced in March that it will acquire a controlling stake in the plastics company Sabic.
While the Saudi government’s climate policies are very limited, the country is making a concerted effort to diversify its economy away from oil and gas. The country is also investing in public transportation and rail transportation and is making gradual steps toward renewable energy development. Its latest target aims to provide 50 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
