Introduction
For Post 34, Climate Scorecard asked our Country Managers in leading greenhouse gas emitting countries to indicate the degree to which their country’s emissions have increased or decreased over time. One of the difficulties in doing this analysis was to find a common measure of comparison across countries since emissions are reported in different ways: some choose only to report CO2 levels, others track emission levels for all greenhouse gases, and many use different comparative baseline years.
Therefore, we asked our Country Managers to make their emission reports based on data from the International Energy Agency that compares 2018 levels of CO2 with 1990 levels. Almost all countries used the IEA data, and those that didn’t presented a comparable measure.
The first thing to notice is which countries have increased their CO2 emissions since 1990: Brazil, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United States; and which have decreased: Australia, the European Union, France, Germany, Spain, Ukraine and United Kingdom. This tells us that outside of the countries of the European Union and Australia, most nations have seen increases in their CO2 emissions since 1990 – some significantly so.
We also asked our Country Managers to rate the effectiveness of their country’s climate mitigation policies in reducing emissions. They were asked to use a 4-star rating system: 4 stars meaning their country’s policies have been highly effective, and, at the other end of the spectrum 1 star meaning country policies have had little to no effect. Using this rating system only the European Union received a 4-star rating. 7 countries received 3-star ratings (Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom and United States; 8-countries received 2-star ratings (France, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Ukraine); and 3 countries received a 1-star rating (Brazil, Mexico, Turkey).
There is a degree of subjectivity to these ratings. They do not use a data-based common metric and are based on the knowledge and analysis of our Country Managers. Nevertheless, you’ll see as you read our Country reports that they present valuable insights as to which countries have both declining emission levels and strong climate policies, making a compelling case for a correlation between emission level and policy effectiveness.
Country Reports
Australia’s Greenhouse Gas Levels Have Decreased 15% from 1990
Recently Reported Greenhouse Gas Level: 515 Mt in 2020, a Decrease of 15% from 1990 (Source: Australian Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources) The Australian government releases national emissions data on a quarterly basis. The latest release (for the April-June quarter of 2020) reports national emissions at 515Mt CO2 equivalents, a 3% drop from…
120.24% Increase in Greenhouse Gas Emission Levels in Brazil Since 1990
Recently Reported Greenhouse Gas Emissions Level: 406.25 Metric Tons in 2018, an increase of 120.24% from 1990 (IEA) As the sixth largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitter in the world, Brazil is an extremely relevant country in discussions about climate action. Over the last decade the country has undergone an exponential increase in emissions. According to…
Canada’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Increased by 20.9% Since 1990
Canada’s Latest Reported Greenhouse Gas Emissions Level: 729 MT in 2018, a 20.9% increase compared to 603 Mt in 1990 (Data source Environment and Climate Change Canada reporting). On November 19, 2020 Canada moved forward its proposed legislation, Bill C-12, promising both transparency and accountability to get to net-zero emissions by 2050. Every year, Canada’s…
China’s CO2 Emissions Have Been Constantly Increasing Over the Past Two Decades With a Steep Increase of 3.4% From 2018-2019
Recently Reported Greenhouse Gas Emissions Level: 9,528.21 Megatons in 2018 Compared to 2088.85 Megatons in 1990 (IEA) 9,825.8 Megatons in 2019 Compared to 2,323.8 Megatons in 1990 (IEA) 11,535.20 Megatons in 2019 Compared to 2,404.74 Megatons in 1990 (EDGAR)Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reports for China vary in numbers but are unified in that they cover…
European Environmental Agency Estimates a 24% Decrease in Greenhouse Gas Emissions Compared to 1990
Recently Reported Greenhouse Gas Emissions Level: 3737.36 MT in 2019, a Decrease of 24% Compared to 1990 Level (European Environmental Agency estimate) The most recent greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) estimates for the EU from 2019 were conducted by the European Environment Agency. Through analyzation of their approximated GHG inventory, they found that the EU’s total…
France Greenhouse Gas Emissions Decreased by 16.9% From 1990 Levels
Recently Reported Total Greenhouse Gases Emissions Level in 2018: 462.8 MTs, a Decrease of 16.9% from 556.9 MTs in 1990 (Source: European Energy Agency) Recent emission estimates quantify France’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 2018 at 462.8 MTs. As depicted below in Figure 1, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) comprises the majority of these emissions at…
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Decreased in Germany by 42% Compared to 1990 Levels
Recently Reported Greenhouse Gas Emission Level: 805 Metric Tons in 2019, a Decrease of 42% Compared to 1990 Level (from German data) According to the most recent estimation published by the Federal Environmental Agency, in 2019 Germany emitted 805 MT of greenhouse gases (UBA, March 2020). This figure represents a decrease of 6.3% from the…
India Has Seen Greenhouse Gas Emissions Increase by a Staggering 335% Since 1990
Recently Reported Greenhouse Gas Levels: 2307.78 MtCO2e in 2018, an Increase of 335.33% from 1990 (Source: IEA) Despite being among the first countries to join in the Paris Climate accord in 2015, India is currently the world’s third largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the US. Coal power plants, rice paddies, and cattle…
Indonesia Has Seen a Whopping 313% Increase in Greenhouse Gas Emissions Since 1990
Latest Reported Greenhouse Gas Emission Levels: 542 Metric Tons in 2018; an Increase of 313.47% From 1990 Levels (IEA) In 2018, Indonesia’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions levels were at 542 Metric Tons, an increase of 313.47% from 1990 levels. While future projections of the country’s emissions have been made, few sources released precise numbers of…
Since 1990 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Have Increased by 2.7% in Japan
Latest Reported Greenhouse Gas Emission Level: 1.213 billion Metric Tons of CO2 in 2019: an increase of 2.7% over 1990 Levels (Source: National Institute for Environment Studies) According to the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2018 was 1,240 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (Mt CO2 eq.)….
Mexico’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Have Increased by 74% Since 1990
Recently Reported Greenhouse Gas Emissions Level: Estimated 767 Megatons in 2020 Compared 440 Megatons in 1990 Climate Action Tracker’s research and the below graph indicate the CO2 emissions levels for Mexico for the last 30 years. Since the 1990s the country has increased its contributions of CO2 consistently from 440 MtCO2e to 767 MtCO2e in…
Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Russia Have Decreased by 26% Since 1990
Recently Reported Greenhouse Gas Emissions Level: 1587.02 Metric Tons in 2018, a Decrease of 26.65% from 1990 Levels (Source: IEA) Statistics and emissions trends for Russian greenhouse gas (GHG) levels regularly get sent to the UNFCCC and are available for public viewing. With most recent data from 2018, research indicates that excluding LULUCF, Russia’s total…
Nigeria Has Experienced a 271% Increase in Greenhouse Gas Emissions Since 1990
Recently Reported Greenhouse Gas Emissions Level: 104.27 MtCO2e in 2018, an increase of 271.60% from 1990 (Source: IEA) After the turn of the century, Nigeria’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been consistently rising. Interestingly, between 1996 and 2001 Nigeria experienced a drastic decrease in GHG emissions before their more recent rise. A dip in Nigeria’s…
Saudi Arabia Greenhouse Gas Emissions Have Increased by 225% Since 1990
Recently Reported Greenhouse Gas Emissions Levels: 491.66 Metric Tons in 2018, an Increase of 225.37% and Increase from 1990 Levels (Source: IEA) The latest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions figures indicate that in 2018 Saudi Arabia produced 491.66 million Metric Tons of CO2 equivalent (MtCO2e), this figure is primarily driven by due oil and gas production….
Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Spain Have Decreased by 30% Since 1990
Recently Reported CO2 Emissions Level: 339.2 MtCO2e in 2019, a Decrease of 30% from 1990 (Source: Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge) Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge issued a report on current greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory and estimated 2018’s gross emissions of 334.3 million tons of CO2.1…
190% Increase in Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Turkey Since 1990
Recently Reported Greenhouse Gas Emissions Levels: 374.13 Megatons in 2018, a 190.56% increase over 1990 levels (Source: IEA) Current greenhouse gas (GHG) levels in Turkey have been exacerbated by emissions from coal, oil, and gas industries (161.0 Mt, 115 Mt, and 93 Mt respectively). GHG emissions are mainly composed of CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide…
The UK Has Seen Emissions Decrease by 30-40% Since 1990
Recently Reported Greenhouse Gas Emissions Level: 339.2 MtCO2e in 2019, a Decrease of 30%-40% from 1990 (Source: IEA) According to research from the International Energy Agency (IEA), total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the UK amounted to 339.2 MtCO2e in 2019. This signals a decline from 2018 emissions levels of 352 MtCO2e, which—at the time—comprised…
Ukraine Has Seen a 61% Decrease in Greenhouse Gas Emissions Since 1990
Recently Reported Greenhouse Gas Emissions Levels: 344.07 MtCO2e in 2018, a decrease of 61.2% from 1990 (Ukraine Government) The most recent data on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Ukraine was published in March 2020 by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources in their Annual National Inventory Report. This thorough report contains balances of…
U.S. Falling Short Without Federal Policy – 3.7% Increase in Emissions Since 1990
Recently Reported Greenhouse Gas Level: 6,776.6 Metric Tons in 2018 (including CO2, CH4, and fluoridated gases), an Increase of 3.7% over 1990 Levels (Source: USEPA) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2020 Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2018 reported that U.S. emissions in 2018 totaled 6,766.6 million metric tons (MMT), netting 5,903.2 MMT after…
Thailand’s Carbon Dioxide Emissions Have Significantly Increased Over the Past 10 Years
Recently Reported Greenhouse Gas Emission Level: 275.06 CO2 MT in 2019, from 246.13 CO2 MT in 2010 (Source EDGAR) Recent greenhouse gas emissions data from Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) shows the total carbon dioxide emissions in Thailand during 2019. Total carbon dioxide emissions for Thailand in 2019 was 275.06 Mt (mega-tonnes). In…
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