Every year, 36 million tons of CO2, which is the main cause of climate change, is released into the atmosphere. Most of these emissions come from fossil fuel use, non-renewable energy production and polluting human activities. Stopping this trend has become the primary goal of nations. However, how this obligation is shared between countries and individuals gives rise to ongoing debate.

The main reason for this is that not all countries face this problem. same level of responsibility Regarding the climate crisis, as the amount of CO2 produced by each country varies greatly.

The latest report of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) stated that the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere broke another record in the last recorded year (2020), despite the decrease in emissions during the pandemic. Specifically, the concentration reached 413 parts per million (ppm) in 2020; this was 149% higher than pre-industrial levels (before 1750).

But most of this pollution comes from a handful of countries. China, for example, produces approx. 31% of all global emissionsThe United States is responsible for almost 14%. This chart, created by Visual Capitalist with data from the Global Carbon Atlas, shows which countries contribute the most to this major threat.

You can view the chart in maximum resolution Here.

As can be seen in the infographic, China is the largest CO2 emitter in the world, with 10,668 million metric tons emitted in 2020, representing 30.9% of the total. The main source is China. fossil fuels. In fact, about 55% of the total energy produced by China in 2021 came from coal alone.

Additionally, China is one of the largest importers of oil, contributing to large CO2 emissions from motor vehicle use in the country. As we mentioned in Xataka, the Asian country has been taking measures to reduce its dependence on coal and use renewable energy in recent years.

The United States is the second largest CO2 emitter, with total emissions of 4,713 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2020, 13.5% of the world. Biggest emission sources Its origins come from transportation. (cars, trucks, ships, trains and planes), energy production and industry. The country has become a major producer of crude oil, and it should be noted that Americans are dependent on their cars as their main means of transportation.

India is the third largest CO2 emitter globally at 7.3%. Russia is the fourth taxpayer in the world with 4.7%. It should not be forgotten that the Eastern European country has one of the largest natural gas deposits in the world and the country’s main energy source is natural gas. However, coal used for electricity generation in the chemical and other basic material industries in Russia produces significant CO2 emissions.

Image | Visual Capitalist

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*An earlier version of this article was published in November 2023.