Europe’s emissions
How much does your country's emissions compare to the rest of the world?
In 2018, global CO2 emissions hit 55.3 billion tonnes. That’s more than double the amount required to raise temperatures by 2°C by 2030. Even though that doesn’t sound too good, there’s still time.
We’ve summarised the data on global emissions in one place, so you get an overview and breakdown of which country is closest to meeting the goals set under the Paris Agreement to help keep temperature changes to 1.5°C before the end of the next decade.
Quick facts
- The Paris Agreement aims to keep the temperature change to less than 2°C and preferably closer to 1.5°C.
- To meet the Paris Agreements goals, we have to lower the world’s emissions by 7% every year.
- Asia produces the most emissions of any continent and accounts for 49% of global emissions.
- Estonia produces more CO2 emissions per capita than any other European country. This works out at 19.3 tonnes for each Estonian each year.
- Africa, as well as South and Central America, produces the lowest emissions by continent, generating 4% and 6% respectively of global CO2.
The Paris Agreement
What is the Paris Agreement really? Simply put, it’s an agreement between 197 countries in the United Nations (UN) to collectively reduce global CO2 emissions.
10 of the signatory countries are yet to ratify actions in their home countries (as of November 2019). Unfortunately, the US has also said it’s withdrawing from the agreement and intends to do so in 2020.
The Paris Agreement is a cooperative effort to help every country meet the criteria needed to keep the rise in global temperatures below 2°C. The 197 signatories also meet every 5 years to discuss what the world can do to further reduce 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.
To meet the Paris Agreements goals and keep the rise in average global temperatures below 2°C, all of us must live like the Moldavians and produce no more than one tonne of CO2 emissions 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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