Animated Chart: The World’s Top 15 Carbon Emitters (1850-2022)

The World’s Top 15 Carbon Emitters (1850-2022)

Carbon emissions worldwide have shifted over the past centuries. However, what remains consistent is that the biggest economies have been the major emitters since the 19th century.

This chart by James Eagle uses data from Our World in Data to show the 15 largest carbon dioxide (CO₂) emitters between 1850 and 2022.

U.S. the Top Emitter for Over 100 Years

As the pioneer of the Industrial Revolution, the United Kingdom spent most of the 19th century at the top of the carbon emissions ranking.

_______________________________________________________________________

Read Also : Americans Are Sneaking Healthy Food Into Their Loved Ones’ Diets, According to a New…

________________________________________________________________________

Rank – 1850	Emitter	CO2 (million tonnes)
1	United Kingdom	122.4
2	United States	19.8
3	France	19.6
4	Germany	15.1
5	Belgium	9.3
6	Poland	3.2

In 1888, however, the United States surpassed the UK to become the largest emitter of carbon. The American Civil War was over, and the country saw significant infrastructure expansion while focusing on settling the West.

Interestingly, America’s CO₂ emissions back then were small compared to today’s: for example, California’s current emissions are more than the entire country’s in 1888.

Throughout the first five decades of the 20th century, the U.S., UK, and Germany dominated the top of the rankings.

In the 1950s, with the increase in merchant traffic, the shipping sector became one of the major contributors to carbon emissions. During the same period, with the expansion of the Soviet Union, Russia surpassed Germany to become the second-largest carbon emitter. China also rose to occupy the fourth place.

________________________________________________________________________

Read Also : The Great Plains of India are the rare gift of the Great Himalayas,

________________________________________________________________________

China Tops CO₂ Emissions Since 2006

In the 1990s, China saw carbon emissions soar due to industrial growth, while the Middle East saw them rise due to strong global oil demand.

In 2006, China surpassed the United States as the world’s largest emitter. The aviation sector also became one of the top 15 emitters in the same decade.

Rank – 2022	Emitter	CO2 (million tonnes)
1	China	11,396.8
2	United States	5,057.3
3	India	2,829.6
4	Middle East	2,677.6
5	Russia	1,652.2
6	Japan	1,053.8
7	Iran	690.6
8	Germany	665.6
9	Shipping	624.5
10	Canada	547.9
11	Mexico	512.0
12	Aviation	424.9
13	Italy	338.1
14	Poland	323.1
15	United Kingdom	318.7

Currently, the volume of Chinese carbon emissions is more than double that of the U.S. Historically, however, the U.S. has emitted more CO₂ in cumulative terms.

 

NOTE – This article was originally published in visualcapitalist and can be viewed here

 

Tags: #AnimatedChart, #carbon, #carbondioxide, #CarbonEmitters, #climate, #climatechange, #CO2, #environment, #getgreengetgrowing, #gngagritech, #greenstories