Climate change: US vs. China -- Here's how the two biggest emitters stack up

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Here’s how the two stack up against each other.

In 2019, the last year before the pandemic hit, China’s greenhouse gas emissions were nearly 2.5 times that of the US’, and more than all the world’s developed countries combined, according to an analysis from Rhodium Group.

In terms of CO2-equivalent — which is a way of measuring all greenhouse gases as if they were CO2 — China emitted 14.1 billion metric tons in 2019. That’s more than a quarter of the world’s total emissions.

By contrast, the US was responsible for 5.7 billion tons, 11% of total emissions, followed by India (6.6%) and the European Union (6.4%).

When scientists measure greenhouse gas emissions, they look at the total emissions that a country pumps into the air on their own land every year. Those emissions come from anything powered by fossil-fuels, including driving cars that run on gasoline, flying, heating and lighting buildings with power generated from coal, natural gas or oil, as well as from powering industry. Other sources, like emissions from deforestation, are included too.

The US is the biggest historical emitter

Historical emissions are closely linked to current levels of global warming. While China is the world’s biggest emitter today, the US led every country until recently. Cumulatively, the US has emitted almost twice as much CO2 as China since 1850.

Cumulative CO2 emissions in million tons

Note: Cumulative CO2 emissions from fossil fuels, land use and forestry in million tons (1850-2021).

No country in the world has put more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than the United States. And by a long way.

While China is by far the biggest emitter today, it hasn’t always been. And that’s important because emissions released even hundreds of years ago have contributed to global warming today. The world has already warmed by 1.2 degrees Celsius since the start of the Industrial Revolution, and scientists say we need to keep it to 1.5 degrees to stave off worsening impacts of the…

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Source : cnn