New data from the International Energy Agency provide insights on the shifting regional dynamics in emissions.
China’s emissions have increased significantly since 2000, overtaking the combined emissions of all advanced economies in 2020 and extending it to 15% higher in 2023, the IEA said in their annual CO2 Emissions in 2023 report.
India has also seen notable growth, surpassing the EU to become the third-largest emitter globally in 2023. Developing Asian nations currently contribute to approximately half of the world’s emissions, with China alone responsible for 35%.
While China’s per capita emissions have steadily increased, reaching 8.9 tonnes in 2023, they still remain below those of the US (13.3 t) but have surpassed the EU. Conversely, both the EU and US have seen a decline in emissions per capita since 2000. Still, advanced economies continue to have relatively high per capita emissions, at about 70% higher than the global average in 2023, the IEA said.
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- IEA, CO2 Emissions 2023