Carbon Footprint by Country 2022

CO₂ and methane are the primary greenhouse gases that contribute to carbon footprints, which may be calculated for an individual or group.

Greenhouse gases absorb and release thermal radiation, generating a greenhouse effect that traps heat near the Earth’s surface and eventually warms the globe. This process is referred to as “global warming.”

To keep Earth’s temperature stable, greenhouse gases are essential. An oversupply of greenhouse gases may disrupt the Earth’s carbon cycle in the atmosphere, speeding up global warming.

We’re now seeing a situation in which emissions from fossil fuel usage are playing a major role in raising global temperatures.

When trying to discuss emissions on a national or global scale, carbon footprint is typically reported in terms of CO₂—typically metric tonnes (1,000 kg/2,205 lb = 1 t), million tonnes (1,000,000 t = 1 Mt) or gigatons (1 billion metric tons/1,000 Mt = 1 GT).

Reducing the Carbon Footprint

Developed countries, on average, have larger carbon footprints and emit more CO₂ per capita than developing countries.

Since they have more strong energy businesses that use large quantities of fossil fuels to generate power and a greater number of citizens who own their cars, which contribute significantly to emissions. Meat production and manufacturing are other notable contributions.

There are many options available to countries looking to lower their carbon impact.

In addition to using renewable energy sources (solar, wind, and hydroelectric) instead of fossil fuels to generate electricity, other strategies include increasing energy efficiency, promoting the use of biofuels in transportation, lowering CO₂ emissions from automobiles, recovering greenhouse gases like methane from landfills and smokestacks, levying a carbon tax on emitting industries, and halting deforestation.

Several governments have vowed to implement these and other measures to become carbon neutral. A few nations have succeeded in becoming carbon-negative countries that remove more CO₂ from the atmosphere than they contribute to it.

There are many more ways that individuals may minimize their carbon footprint: by not driving themselves, walking, bicycling, or carpooling, using recyclable containers or bottles, using less power, and by consuming less red meat.

Carbon Footprint by Country

According to the European Union’s Joint Research Center, global CO₂ emissions rose from 34.1 GT in 2010 to 37.9 GT in 2019. Restrictions on travel and transportation due to the COVID-19 epidemic led to a drop in 2020 emissions to 35.962 GT, although they are likely to rise again in 2021.

In 2020, China will release 11680 Mt (11.680 GT) of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, making it the world’s greatest carbon dioxide emitter. This amount will account for more than 32% of global 2020 emissions.

The United States produced the second-largest quantity with 4.535 GT or around 12.6% of the total world emissions in terms of carbon dioxide emissions.

Top 10 countries (total CO₂ in Mt) for CO₂ emissions – EU JRC 2020

1. China — 11680.42
2. United States — 4535.30
3. India — 2411.73
4. Russia — 1674.23
5. Japan — 1061.77
6. Iran — 690.24
7. Germany — 636.88
8. South Korea — 621.47
9. Saudi Arabia — 588.81
10. Indonesia — 568.27

On the other hand, total emissions do not provide a whole picture. Even a casual observer may see that the top three polluters are all located in the world’s most populated nations.

Thus it’s only natural that their emissions would be greater than countries with smaller populations. CO₂ emissions per capita, rather than just total emissions, may provide a more realistic indication of a country’s efforts to decrease CO₂ emissions.

EU JRC 2020: Top 15 Countries with the Highest CO₂ Emissions per Capita (t)

1. Palau — 55.29
2. Qatar — 35.64
3. Trinidad and Tobago — 21.97
4. Bahrain — 21.60
5. Kuwait — 20.91
6. United Arab Emirates — 20.70
7. Brunei Darussalam — 17.95
8. Saudi Arabia — 16.96
9. Oman — 16.9
10. Australia — 15.22
11. Canada — 14.43
12. Kazakhstan — 14.22
13. United States — 13.68
14. Turkmenistan — 13.37
15. Luxembourg — 13.24

US emissions per capita are 13.68 tonnes, whereas Russia is 20th (11.64), Japan is 26th (8.09), China is 28th (8.01), and India is 110th (1.74) in the rankings based on this method of measurement.

Also See: Smartest Countries 2022

On the other hand, developing countries have risen to the top of the rankings because of their less-regulated energy, industrial, and transportation sectors.