EU emissions
CO2 emissions by country
With global warming becoming an ever-increasing threat, countries around the world are trying to reduce their CO2 emissions and make energy production more efficient.
Read on to find out more about the CO2 emissions for each European country and the continent as a whole.
Quick facts
- The UK is the fourth biggest emitter of CO2 in Europe, accounting for 1.2% of all CO2 emissions in the world
- The biggest emitter of CO2 per person in Europe is Estonia, with each eprson produding 19.2 tonnes of CO2 per year
- The country with the lowest emissions per head is Moldova, with only 1 tonne of CO2 being produced per person, each year
- Russia produces the most overall emissions per year in Europe, accounting for 4.6% of global CO2 emissions
- Europe produces 12% of global CO2 emisisons each year
- Asia produces the most emissions of any continent and accounts for 49% of global emissions
- Africa is the continent that emits the lowest amount of CO2 each year, generating 4% of global emissions
Europe’s emissions
The European countries that are the most considerate towards the environment are Moldova, where each person produces only one tonne of CO2 emissions per year, and Albania where each citizen accounts for two tonnes each year.
In the UK, the average person generates six tonnes of emissions each year, so we’d each need to reduce our emissions by 83% to hit the Paris Agreement target.
When looking at average emissions per person in Europe, the citizens of Estonia are the least environmentally friendly. Estonia has a population of 1.325 million, and the Estonians produces no less than 19.3 tonnes of CO2 per person, per year. Second worst is Luxembourg, which generates 16.9 tonnes per Luxembourger every year.
The highest and lowest polluters
There are lots of factors that contribute to a country’s pollution as well as individuals, such as industry, transport and exports. The country with the most emissions in Europe by far is Russia, which produces no less than 1,692,794,839 tonnes (1.7 billion) of CO2 per year and accounts for 4.60% of all global emissions. By comparison, the UK produces 1.20% of the world’s emissions, making it the fourth worst in Europe.
Worst countries in Europe
1. Russia
2. Germany
3. Turkey
4. The United Kingdom
5. France
Worst countries outside Europe
1. China
2. USA
3. India
4. Japan
5. Iran
If we look at the global picture, the biggest environmental offender is China and the Asian nation is responsible for 27.60% of all CO2 emissions. This is six times more than the worst offender in Europe (Russia).
| Country | Tonnes of co2 per person | Whole country tonnes | Of all emissions in the world |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ukraine | 4.0 | 212,116,258 | 0.50% |
| UK | 6.0 | 384,706,789 | 1.20% |
| Turkey | 5.1 | 447,897,176 | 1.20% |
| Switzerland | 4.5 | 40,074,025 | 0.10% |
| Sweden | 4.8 | 41,501,525 | 0.10% |
| Spain | 6.5 | 281,421,987 | 0.90% |
| Slovenia | 6.6 | 14,609,601 | 0.00% |
| Slovakia | 5.9 | 200,655,296 | 0.10% |
| Serbia | 5.0 | 45,092,773 | |
| Russia | 10.6 | 1,692,794,839 | 4.60% |
| Romania | 3.8 | 79,995,525 | 0.20% |
| Portugal | 5.8 | 54,863,556 | 0.20% |
| Poland | 8.1 | 326,604,543 | 0.90% |
| Norway | 6.7 | 44,789,859 | 0.10% |
| North Macedonia | 3.3 | 7,251,464 | 0.00% |
| Netherlands | 12.2 | 164,045,946 | 0.60% |
| Montenegro | 4.0 | 2,627,815 | |
| Moldova | 1.0 | 5,093,589 | |
| Luxembourg | 16.9 | 9,294,689 | 0.00% |
| Lithuania | 4.2 | 13,393,875 | 0.00% |
| Latvia | 4.1 | 7,166,818 | 0.00% |
| Italy | 5.7 | 355,454,172 | 1.00% |
| Ireland | 8.2 | 39,738,354 | 0.10% |
| Iceland | 8.9 | 3,480,027 | 0.00% |
| Hungary | 4.9 | 50,344,705 | 0.10% |
| Greece | 7.0 | 76,000,361 | 0.20% |
| Germany | 9.2 | 799,373,211 | 2.30% |
| France | 4.8 | 356,300,651 | 1.00% |
| Finland | 8.2 | 45,956,044 | 0.10% |
| Estonia | 19.3 | 19,809,264 | 0.10% |
| Denmark | 6.3 | 34,550,121 | 0.10% |
| Czech Republic | 9.8 | 107,895,756 | 0.30% |
| Croatia | 3.7 | 17,181,602 | 0.00% |
| Bulgaria | 6.5 | 49,071,233 | 0.10% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 6.0 | 26,646,891 | |
| Belgium | 10.7 | 100,116,012 | 0.40% |
| Belarus | 5.7 | 61,371,793 | 0.20% |
| Austria | 7.3 | 69,941,756 | 0.20% |
| Albania | 2.0 | 6,379,207 | |
| Andorra | 6.0 | 520,184 | |
| Average: | 4.0 | 161,425,875 | 0.50% |
| Country | Tonnes of co2 per person | Whole country tonnes | Of all emissions in the world |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 6.7 | 9,838,754,028 | 27.60% |
| USA | 15.6 | 5,269,529,513 | 15.20% |
| Canada | 15.3 | 572,782,586 | 1.70% |
| Australia | 16.5 | 413,092,655 | 1.20% |
| Brazil | 2.2 | 476,066,778 | 1.40% |
| Colombia | 1.7 | 81,226,822 | 0.30% |
| Chile | 5.1 | 84,603,250 | 0.30% |
| UAE | 28.4 | 231,773,458 | 0.80% |
| Philippines | 1.1 | 127,607,963 | 0.40% |
| Egypt | 2.2 | 218,664,378 | 0.60% |
| Ecuador | 2.0 | 38,797,288 | 0.10% |
| Israel | 8.2 | 66,553,412 | 0.20% |
| Iran | 7.8 | 672,312,343 | 1.90% |
| Iraq | 3.7 | 194,454,630 | 0.40% |
| Indonesia | 1.9 | 486,843,756 | 1.50% |
| India | 1.8 | 2,466,765,373 | 7.00% |
| Hong Kong | 13.4 | 43,032,580 | 0.30% |
| Kuwait | 24.0 | 104,393,492 | 0.30% |
| Kazahkstan | 12.1 | 292,588,517 | 0.70% |
| Japan | 9.3 | 1,205,061,178 | 3.50% |
| Pakistan | 1.0 | 198,809,969 | 0.60% |
| Oman | 15.2 | 79,995,525 | 0.20% |
| New Zealand | 7.7 | 36,013,927 | 0.10% |
| Mexico | 3.7 | 490,294,629 | 1.40% |
| Morocco | 1.6 | 62,725,302 | 0.20% |
| Malaysia | 8.1 | 254,575,871 | 0.80% |
| Singapore | 40.4 | 64,765,076 | 0.70% |
| Saudi Arabia | 18.1 | 635,011,088 | 1.80% |
| Qatar | 43.5 | 129,803,321 | 0.30% |
| Peru | 5.8 | 64,781,477 | 0.20% |
| Pakistan | 1.0 | 198,809,969 | 0.60% |
| Vietnam | 2.1 | 198,826,549 | 0.60% |
| Venezuela | 4.6 | 159,567,635 | 0.40% |
| Uzbekistan | 2.9 | 98,998,947 | 0.30% |
| Turkmenistan | 13.7 | 72,702,485 | 0.20% |
| Trinidad & Tobago | 17.4 | 40,697,187 | 0.10% |
| Thailand | 4.3 | 330,839,584 | 0.90% |
| South Korea | 13.2 | 616,096,687 | 2.00% |
| South Africa | 7.3 | 456,325,216 | 1.20% |
| Sri Lanka | 1.0 | 23,138,426 | 0.10% |
| Average: | 9.8 | 661,102,379 | 1.95% |
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