China Emits More Greenhouse Gases Than Rest Of World Combined, Report Finds

A report has found that China emits more greenhouse gases that the rest of the developed world combined.

In 2019 alone, the country produced a staggering 27% of the world’s greenhouse gases, while the US – the second-largest contributor – created 11%.

In third place was India with 6% of the world’s emissions, which is the first time the country has been recorded to have produced more than the EU 27.

The group has been tracking data related to greenhouse gasses since 1990, and found that 2019 was the first time that China’s emissions had exceeded those of all developed countries combined.

The country’s gas emissions have more than tripled since 1990; 31 years ago, its emissions made up less than one quarter of developed countries’ emissions. Since then, the country has produced 14 gigatons of carbon dioxide, Rhodium Group reports.

2019 saw a concerning 52 gigatons of CO2 being emitted, 27% of which was from China.

While China produced the highest amount of greenhouse gases, the US has proven to have the highest per capita emissions. This is the amount of carbon released as a result of all human activities, divided by the population of the country.

As per 2019’s data, China’s per capita emissions reached 10.1 tons/capita, while the US holds the highest per capita across the globe with 17.6 tons/capita.

While 2020 data is yet to become available, Rhodium Group predicts that China’s per capita emissions will exceed the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s average for that year. This is down to the fact China’s greenhouse gases increased by 1.7% last year, while many other developed countries saw theirs decline over the course of the pandemic.