This is a list of sovereign states and territories by greenhouse gas emissions due to certain forms of human activity, based on the EDGAR database created by European Commission. The following table lists the 1970, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 annual GHG[n 1] emissions estimates (in kilotons of CO2 equivalent per year) along with a list of calculated emissions per capita (in metric tons of CO2 equivalent per year). The data include carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide from all sources, including agriculture and land use change. They are measured in carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.
Global map of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including agriculture and land use change, measured in carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.[1]Annual GHG emissions by region, including agriculture and land use change, measured in carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale[2]Per capita annual GHG emissions, including agriculture and land use change, measured in carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.[3]2023 Worldwide Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions (per capita, by region, growth). Variwide diagram. Data source: JRC/IEA (2024)
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6th assessment report finds that the "Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU)" sector on average, accounted for 13–21% of global total anthropogenic GHG emissions in the period 2010–2019.[4] Land use change drivers net AFOLU CO2 emission fluxes, with deforestation being responsible for 45% of total AFOLU emissions. In addition to being a net carbon sink and source of GHG emissions, land plays an important role in climate through albedo effects, evapotranspiration, and aerosol loading through emissions of volatile organic compounds.[4] The IPCC report finds that the LULUCF sector offers significant near-term mitigation potential while providing food, wood and other renewable resources as well as biodiversity conservation. Mitigation measures in forests and other natural ecosystems provide the largest share of the LULUCF mitigation potential between 2020 and 2050. Among various LULUCF activities, reducing deforestation has the largest potential to reduce anthropogenic GHG emissions, followed by carbon sequestration in agriculture and ecosystem restoration including afforestation and reforestation.[4] Land use change emissions can be negative.[n 2][6]
In 2023, global GHG emissions reached 53.0GtCO2eq (without Land Use, land Use Change and Forestry). The 2023 data represent the highest level recorded and experienced an increase of 1.9% or 994MtCO2eq compared to the levels in 2022. The majority of GHG emissions consisted of fossil CO2 accounting for 73.7% of total emissions.[7]
China, the United States, India, the EU27, Russia and Brazil were the world’s largest GHG emitters in 2023. Together they account for 49.8% of global population, 63.2% of global gross domestic product, 64.2% of global fossil fuel consumption and 62.7% of global GHGemissions. Among these top emitters, in 2023 China, India, Russia and Brazil increased their emissions compared to 2022, with India having the largest increase in relative terms (+6.1%) and China the largest absolute increase by 784MtCO2eq.[7]
GHG emissions from the top 10countries with the highest emissions accounted for almost twothirds of the global total. Since 2006, China has been emitting more CO2 than any other country.[8][9][10]
However, the main disadvantage of measuring total national emissions is that it does not take population size into account. China has the largest CO2 and GHG emissions in the world, but also the second largest population. Some argue that for a fair comparison, emissions should be analyzed in terms of the amount of CO2 and GHG percapita.[11]
Considering GHGpercapita emissions in 2023, China's levels(11.11) are 53% higher than those of the European Union (7.26), are almost two-thirds those of the United States(17.61) and less than asixth of those of Palau(65,29) – the country with the highest emissions of GHGpercapita in 2023.[7]
Measures of territorial-based emissions, also known as production-based emissions, do not account for emissions embedded in global trade, where emissions may be imported or exported in the form of traded goods, as it only reports emissions emitted within geographical boundaries. Accordingly, a proportion of the CO2 produced and reported in Asia and Africa is for the production of goods consumed in Europe and North America.[12]
According to the review of the scientific literature conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), carbon dioxide is the most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas by warming contribution.[13] Greenhouse gases (GHG) – primarily carbon dioxide but also others, including methane and chlorofluorocarbons – trap heat in the atmosphere, leading to global warming. Higher temperatures then act on the climate, with varying effects. For example, dry regions might become drier while, at the poles, the ice caps are melting, causing higher sea levels. In 2016, the global average temperature was already 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels.[14]
GHG emissions 2023 vs. GHG emissions per capita 2023
Summarize
Perspective
Sorting is in descending order, by GHG emissions in 2023, starting with the maximum value — China (15943986.55ktCO2eq =100%). Percentages for GHG emissions per capita 2023 are also related to the maximum value — Palau (65.29tCO2eq =100%).
More information GHG emissions 2023, Country/Territory/Region/Group ...
GHG emissions 2023 (ktCO2) and GHG emissions per capita 2023 (tCO2)
Cumulative GHG emissions 1970-2023 vs. GHG emissions 2023
Summarize
Perspective
Sorting is in descending order, by total GHG emissions 1970-2023, starting with the maximum value — China (370328794.88ktCO2eq =100%). Percentages for GHG emissions 2023 are also related to the maximum value — China (15943986.55ktCO2eq =100%).
More information CumulativeGHG emissions 1970-2023, Country/Territory/Region/Group ...
Cumulative GHG emissions 1970-2023 (ktCO2) and GHG emissions 2023 (ktCO2)
Greenhouse gases (GHG) constitute a group of gases contributing to global warming and climate change.
The Kyoto Protocol, an environmental agreement adopted by many of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1997 to curb global warming, nowadays covers seven greenhouse gases:
the non-fluorinated gases:
carbon dioxide (CO2),
methane (CH4),
nitrous oxide (N2O),
the fluorinated gases:
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs),
perfluorocarbons (PFCs),
sulphur hexafluoride (SF6),
nitrogen trifluoride (NF3).
Converting them to carbon dioxide (or CO2) equivalents makes it possible to compare them and to determine their individual and total contributions to global warming.
Global Carbon Project (2022)[5] The rate of build-up of GHG in the atmosphere can be reduced by taking advantage of the fact that atmospheric CO2 can accumulate as carbon in vegetation and soils in terrestrial ecosystems. Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change any process, activity or mechanism which removes a greenhouse gas (GHG) from the atmosphere is referred to as a "sink". Human activities impact terrestrial sinks, through land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF), consequently, the exchange of CO2 (carbon cycle) between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere is altered.[4]
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