Top 10 Countries With The Highest Fossil CO2 Emissions

Carbon dioxide emissions from human activities are driving global warming. They are also a major contributor to air pollution. Moreover, CO₂ levels may indicate high levels of other harmful air pollutants. Furthermore, CO₂ emissions may impact human health by displacing oxygen in the atmosphere.

Reducing CO2 emissions is a key measure to control climate warming and mitigate air pollution. Two months ago (October 8, 2018), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a special report limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. By 2017, however, human-induced global warming had reached approximately 1°C above pre-industrial levels, with a rate of increase of 0.2°C per decade.

Reducing CO2 emissions is imperative worldwide. Therefore, it is important to examine the extent of CO2 emissions in different areas worldwide. On 5 December 2018, a report released by the Global Carbon Project at the UN climate summit in Poland projected that global CO₂ emissions would jump to a record high in 2018. Over the past 150 years, cumulative CO₂ emissions in the atmosphere have increased by 40%, primarily through the combustion of fossil fuels.

The Global Carbon Project examined fossil carbon emissions in 213 nations or territories between 1959 and 2017. Based on the latest database released by the Global Carbon Project, it is feasible to examine current global rankings to see how different countries stack up when it comes to fossil CO₂ emissions.

1. Top 10 countries with the world’s largest volume of fossil CO2 emissions

The following is a list of the top 10 countries ranked by their fossil CO₂ emissions in total in 2017, calculated using the latest database released by the Global Carbon Project on December 5, 2018. For each country, the estimates of fossil CO₂ emissions per capita and fossil CO₂ emissions per square kilometer are also presented.

As shown, China tops the list of countries with the highest volume of fossil CO₂ emissions. Because of its large population size, its value of fossil CO₂ emissions per capita (6.98 tonnes per capita) is at the middle level. The amount of fossil CO₂ emissions per square kilometer in China is lower than in Japan, Germany, and South Korea. If adjusting for the areas (e.g., desserts) where living conditions are hostile for human life, the amount of fossil CO₂ emissions per square kilometer in China can be much higher.

India also has horrendous air pollution, just second to China. Regarding the total amount of fossil CO₂ emissions per year, India ranks 3^rd on the list of countries. Although the amount of fossil CO₂ emissions per capital in India (1.84 tonnes per capita) is much lower than the global average level (4.79 tonnes per capita), The amount of fossil CO₂ emissions per square kilometer (750 tonnes per km²) is much higher than the figure for the USA (547 tonnes per km²).

The USA ranks second in annual CO2 emissions. Its fossil CO2 emissions per capita are the highest in industrialized countries.

South Korea ranks 9^th on the list. However, its fossil CO2 emissions per square kilometer (6256.1 tonnes) are two times higher than those in Japan and eleven times higher than those in the USA.

2. Top 10 countries with the largest volume of fossil CO2 emissions per capita

The following is a list of major countries or territories ranked by their fossil CO₂ emissions per capita in 2017 (in tonnes of CO2). Nations or territories with a total of less than 10 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions are not included.

Most of the countries on this list are located in the Middle East, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. The energy sector is a major source of the country’s GDP, and this list highlights the importance of tackling the air pollution problem in the Middle East.

For detailed information, please read the post:  The List of Countries Ranked by Fossil CO2 Emissions Per Capita.

3. Top 10 countries or areas with the highest CO2 emissions per square kilometer

A country’s total CO₂ and CO2 emissions per capita don’t tell the full story of its contribution to global warming or air pollution and the harmful risk to local people.  An additional useful measurement is CO₂ emissions per square mile or square kilometer.

The following is a list of major countries or territories ranked by their fossil CO₂ emissions per square kilometer in the year 2017 (in tonnes of CO₂).

As shown in the table, Singapore tops the list of nations with the largest CO₂ emissions per square kilometer, with a value of 89765 tonnes in 2017, 370 times more than the global average value (242.7 tonnes per square kilometer).

Hong Kong ranks 3^rd on the list, with a value of 38980 tonnes of fossil CO₂ emissions per square kilometer, 160 times more than the global average value.

Of the 10 nations or areas, four are located in Asia, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea; three are in the Middle East (Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait); two (Netherlands and Belgium) are in Europe; and one is in Middle America (Trinidad and Tobago).

For further information, please read the post: The List of Major Countries Ranked by Fossil CO2 Emissions Per Square Kilometer.