Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our time, and the world needs to take major steps to reduce global warming if it is to be kept in check. As such, understanding which countries are contributing the most to global warming plays a critical role in helping the planet.
When it comes to greenhousing gases, the five highest contributors are China, the United States of America, India, the Russian Federation and Japan. According to the World Resources Institute’s records, these five countries alone accounted for 54.9 percent of the world’s total emissions in 2017.
China is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases. It was responsible for 27.2 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions in 2017, making it the biggest single contributor to global warming. China’s emissions are driven in large part by its energy production, which is heavily reliant on coal.
The USA comes in second, responsible for 13.9 percent of global emissions. In the USA, the transportation sector accounted for more than two-thirds of the greenhouse gases emitted in 2017. This is largely due to the heavy reliance on cars rather than public transportation, as well as the modest fuel-efficiency benchmark imposed by the US government as a minimum efficiency target for vehicles.
India follows in third, producing 7.1 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases. Like China and the USA, the burning of fossil fuels for energy production is India’s main source of emissions. It is estimated that India’s emissions from electricity could double by 2030 if significant mitigation measures are not adopted.
The Russian Federation comes in fourth, accounting for 4.9 percent of emissions. Surprisingly, Soviet-era energy production is still a major contributor to emissions in Russia, as long-used turbines remain largely untouched.
Japan rounds off the five highest contributors, with an output of 2.7 percent. Although the nation is the world’s leader in energy efficiency, it still relies on fossil fuels (primarily coal, oil and natural gas) to make up nearly half of its energy supply.
Emissions projections for the year 2030 indicate that these five countries will still be the five highest emitters. In fact, their contributions are expected to increase if no action is taken.
To make sure climate change does not exceed catastrophic levels, countries need to make a joint effort to reduce emissions. This can be achieved by providing economic and technical assistance to developing countries, introducing emissions pricing, and investing in clean energy initiatives. Policy-makers must also prioritize shifting energy supply away from fossil fuels and towards renewable sources such as hydropower, wind, and solar.
The world can no longer sit and wait for the biggest contributors to global warming to take action. If nations want to keep global warming in check, they need to start showing leadership and collaboration as soon as possible. Only then, will the tide start turning against climate change.
