A comprehensive analysis of the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted since the start of the industrial revolution shows which countries have the greatest historical responsibility for the climate crisis. The data from Carbon Brief includes, for the first time, emissions from the destruction of forests and other changes in land use alongside the burning of fossil fuels. This addition significantly alters the rankings for the top 10 when compared to data published in 2019. It also highlights that the world has now blitzed through 85% of the CO2 budget that would give a 50% chance of limiting heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The research comes less than a month before the start of a critically important U.N. climate summit, known as COP26. It is yet another example of the immense pressure on heavily polluting countries to drastically and urgently reduce their emissions to meet the demands of the climate emergency.
By Sam Meredith. CNBC. October 5, 2021.
