Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Country 2022

In the atmosphere, a greenhouse gas (GHG) is a gas that traps heat. The moniker greenhouse gas comes from the fact that these gases mimic the properties of greenhouse glass. There is no way to stop sunlight from passing through, which causes heat on the Earth.

As a result, the temperature rises as the heat tries to rise and disperse, but it is blocked by the gases/glass and instead builds up. The greenhouse effect describes this phenomenon.

The absence of greenhouse gases would result in an average world temperature of 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

A surplus of greenhouse gases has been released into the atmosphere due to human activities, particularly certain agricultural practices and the combustion of fossil fuels. Unnatural global warming is mostly attributed to this.

The quantity of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere by nations throughout the globe varies greatly. Many factors contribute to a country’s total emissions, including its population, GDP, energy industry, etc.

The following are the top 10 countries in terms of annual greenhouse gas emissions (measured in millions of metric tonnes):*

1. China — 9,877
2. United States — 4,745
3. India — 2,310
4. Russia — 1,640
5. Japan — 1,056
6. Germany — 644
7. South Korea — 586
8. Iran — 583
9. Canada — 571
10. Saudi Arabia — 495

*The whole data set is shown in the table after the text.

An all-time high of 36.3 billion metric tonnes (36.3 Gt) of carbon dioxide was reported in 2021 by the International Energy Agency.

The COVID-19-related lockdowns, which restricted the usage of motor vehicles, were substantially responsible for reducing 9 per cent in total greenhouse gas emissions from 2019 to 2020. (and, in turn, greatly reduced the emission of GHGs in vehicle exhaust).

Early data, on the other hand, suggests that global GHG emissions will not only rise in 2021 but will also reach their highest level ever. Coal usage and other energy sources (wind, hydro, solar, etc.) reached historic highs in 2021.

Major sources of greenhouse gases

In addition to CO2, CH4, N2O, and fluorinated gases, including hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride, and nitrogen trifluoride, humans also produce several other greenhouse gases.

Although water vapour and ozone (O3) are greenhouse gases, the advantages they provide much exceed the risks they pose.

The major sources of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are power and heat generation (25%), agriculture, forestry, and other land use (24%), industry (21%), and transportation (14%).

In 2020, the following will be the primary U.S. sources of greenhouse gas emissions:

Carbon dioxide (CO₂)

In terms of greenhouse gas concentrations, carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most prevalent. CO2 accounts for roughly 45 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions from human activity.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is largely produced by the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and oil) in automobiles and power plants. Solid trash, biological materials, and certain chemical processes are also potential additional sources.

Global carbon dioxide emissions have grown by 90 per cent since 1970, with emissions from fossil fuel burning and industrial activities accounting for around 78 per cent of the overall greenhouse gas emissions increase.

In 2020, the following will be the primary U.S. sources of Carbon Dioxide Emissions:

Methane (CH₄)

As a result of its lower volume, methane has a far bigger influence on Earth’s atmosphere and is about 25 times more harmful than carbon dioxide over a century.

Wetlands and human activity (35-50 per cent) contribute to methane emission into the atmosphere (50-65 per cent).

Natural gas production, coal mining, wastewater treatment, and landfills are all examples of human-created methane sources. Livestock production is perhaps the most well-known source of atmospheric methane.

Because of the enormous magnitude of the global meat industry, methane emissions from animal waste and farts are a significant problem.

In 2020, the following will be the primary U.S. sources of Methane Emissions:

Nitrous oxide (N₂O)

Nitrous oxide is a significant contributor to global warming because of its 300-fold influence on the atmosphere compared to carbon dioxide. Soil management methods, including fertiliser application, account for 74% of its release.

Nitrogen dioxide is also emitted during the manufacture of chemicals, fossil fuel burning, and wastewater treatment. A natural nitrogen cycle includes it as well.

Fluorinated gases

Chemical and industrial operations produce fluorinated gases, such as hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride, & nitrogen trifluoride, practically exclusively.

Most of the fluorinated gases discharged into the atmosphere are used in industrial applications such as refrigerants, aerosol propellants and solvents, fire retardants and foam blowing agents.

Fluorinated gases impact 10,000 to 22,800 times greater than that of carbon dioxide, although they are present in very tiny concentrations in the atmosphere.

Contributions to greenhouse gases all over the world

China

In 2019, China emitted 9,877 megatons (9,877 million tonnes) of GHGs, the most of any nation globally.

As a result, the country’s economic expansion has been mostly fueled by coal, which emits up to twice as much carbon dioxide as other fossil fuels. The industrial sector in China consumes the majority of the world’s coal.

Manufacturing, agriculture, mining, and construction account for approximately 62.5 per cent of China’s energy consumption.

China’s coal consumption also increased in 2021 because of a rise in natural gas costs and a 10% increase in energy demand (driven by the post-pandemic economic recovery). This led to an increasing dependence on coal-powered electrical facilities.

United States

In 2019, the United States produced 4,745 megatons of GHGs, making it the second-largest CO2 emitter. Electric power sector emissions declined by 27 per cent between 2005 and 2017 due to increasing renewable energy usage, a move from coal to natural gas, and a levelling of electricity demand.

In 2020, transportation accounted for 27% of total emissions, with energy accounting for 25% of emissions and industry contributing the remaining 5%.

India

More than 1.4 billion people live in India, the second-largest population in the world and the third-largest contributor to carbon dioxide emissions.

The country’s biggest sources of emissions include cattle, coal power stations, and rice fields. Emissions will fall by 33-35 per cent by 2030 compared with 2005 levels.

Russia and Japan

Russia emitted 1,640 megatons of carbon dioxide in 2019, making it the fourth-largest contributor to CO2 emissions. While the United States emits more than any other country, Russia’s per-capita emissions of 10.8 tonnes in 2020 are the highest in the world (13.0).

The energy sector in Russia is responsible for the vast majority of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions (78.9%), with electricity and heat generation for the general public accounting for the bulk of the remainder.

Fifth, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, Japan is the only country to contribute more than 1,000 megatons (1,056 megatons) every year.

Only in Japan are new coal-fired power plants currently being built. As a result of Japan’s lack of strong climate change targets, the international community has criticised and pressured the country.

South Korea and Germany

In 2019, Germany released 644 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide, a 6.3% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions from the year before.

By closing coal-fired power facilities, growing wind and solar energy, and effectively reforming EU carbon trading, Germany has cut its emissions by 35.7 per cent since 1990. By 2030, Germany aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% and operate on 80% renewable energy sources.

South Korea cut its CO2 emissions to 586 million tonnes in 2019 after releasing a record 605.9 million tonnes in 2018. South Korea’s commitment to greening its energy platform is decommissioning obsolete and inefficient power plants and moving to newer and more efficient systems, including the growing hydrogen sector.

Iran, Canada, and Saudi Arabia

2019 saw 583 million tonnes of CO2 emitted by the Iranian government, ranking 8th in the world. Iranian CO2 emissions grew at around 5 per cent each year between 1990 and 2018. Iran’s carbon emissions are mostly a result of the country’s use of natural gas and oil.

Despite its abundant oil and gas reserves, Iran still has a lot of room for growth in renewable energy, such as solar electricity. An increase in economic sanctions and a lack of international commerce have made it difficult for Iran to meet its goal of cutting carbon emissions by 4 per cent by 2030.

In 2019, Canada pumped out 571 million tonnes of CO2. Despite its extensive hydroelectric dams and nuclear power plants, which don’t use fossil fuels to generate energy, Canada is warming twice as fast as the rest of the globe.

About 45 per cent of Canada’s emissions come from the oil and gas industry, with transportation generating another 28 per cent of the country’s emissions.

Even though Canada’s GDP has quadrupled since 1990 and its population has expanded by 6 million, its total greenhouse gas emissions have increased by less than 30 per cent, and per-capita emissions have decreased.

In 2019, Saudi Arabia ranked tenth in the world for total CO2 emissions, at 495 million metric tonnes. As a result of the Saudi Arabian economy’s heavy reliance on oil, the state-owned Saudi Aramco has been a major source of carbon dioxide emissions since the 1960s.

Also See: Greenest Countries 2022

As a result of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, oil demand dropped by a large amount, making it evident that Saudi Arabia has to diversify its economy away from oil for environmental and financial reasons. As with other nations, Saudi Arabia has enormous solar power generation potential.