The five countries that produce the world’s highest carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions are China, the United States, India, Russia, and Japan, according to the most recent data from the Global Carbon Atlas. China is by far the worst offender.

According to NASA’s Climate Science division, the amount of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere has increased by 50% in the roughly 200 years since the Industrial Revolution began. And that, according to NASA, has warmed the planet and caused climate change.

About 90% of carbon dioxide emissions are caused by the use of fossil fuels.

1. China

China is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide gas in the world, with 11,903 million metric tons emitted in 2023. The primary source of CO₂ emissions in China is fossil fuels, most notably those that burn coal.

About 58% of the total energy generated by China comes from coal alone, and because coal is rich in carbon, burning it in China’s power and industrial plants and boilers releases large amounts of CO₂ into the atmosphere.

China is also one of the largest importers of oil, which contributes to CO₂ emissio꧂ns through the country’s use of motor ౠvehicles.

China plans to reduce its dependence on coal and decrease overall pollution in large cities in the future by generating more electricity using nuclear, 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:renewable energy sources, and natural gas.

2. United States

The U.S. is the second-largest emitter of CO₂, with 4,911 million metric tons of total carbon dioxide emissions in 2023. The largest sources of CO₂ emissions in the U.S. came from transportation, electric power, and industry.

The U.S. government has undertaken significant efforts to reduce reliance on coal for electricity generation, but the country remains a major producer of crude oil.

The U.S. economy is heavily reliant on the transportation sector, which burns petroleum for trucks, ships, trains, and planes. U.S. consumers depend on their cars as their primary means of transportation, and this also contributes to the CO₂ footprint through gasoline and diesel.

Another major contributor to CO₂ emissions in the U.S. is industry, which burns fossil fuels for energy. Also, the U.S. chemical sector uses various chemical reactions necessary to produce goods from 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:raw materials. The process emits CO₂.

3. India

India is the third-largest CO₂ emitter, with 3,062 million metric tons of total 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:carbon dioxide emissions produced in 2023. Coal is the main energy source for India, supplying about 44% of the energy in the country. Petroleum and other liquids provided about 24%.

澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Natural gas accounts for only 6% of India's energy consumption. However, the country plans to increase the natural gas market share to 15% by 2030 to reduce air pollution and use cleaner-burning fuels.

4. Russia

Russia is the fourth-largest contributor to CO₂ emissions in the world, emitting 1,816 million metric tons in 2023. Russia has one of the largest natural gas deposits in the world, and natural gas is the primary source of energy and power generation in the country.

Coal, which is widely used in chemical and other 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:basic material industries and for power generation in Russia, is also a major contributor to Russia’s CO₂ emissions.

Russia has been a large supplier of natural gas to other countries, primarily in Europe. However, European countries have been cutting back on Russian natural gas due to the country’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and Russia is also cutting back on its supply of gas to Europe.

5. Japan

Japan is the fifth-largest producer of CO₂ emissions, with 989 million metric tons in 2023. Japan’s energy fuel mix changed after the 2011 nuclear accident at Fukushima. Oil is the largest source of energy in Japan, with its total share of energy consumption being 38% in 2021, which is the latest figure available.

Coal still makes up a large share of energy consumption in Japan: 25%. Nuclear gas accounts for 23% of energy consumpti🅘on as of 2021.

The country’s energy plan from 2018 has the goal of increasing nuclear-fired power production by 2030 to reduce the dependency on 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:hydrocarbon fuel imports.

The Bottom Line

Carbon dioxi🎉de is the main greenhouse gas produced by human activities including buꦍrning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial activity.

The countries that are responsible for emitting the most CO₂ in the world include the most advanced, such as the U.S. and Japan, and some of the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:fastest-growing economies—notably, China, India, and Russia.

While rising CO₂ levels are a cause for concern, this gas does serve a purpose. It helps keep the Earth’s temperature above freezing and helps lower pH levels in the world’s oceans.

Correction―Oct. 10, 2022: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the time frame🔴 under consideration and referred to metric tons rather than millions🐼 of metric tons (megatonnes).