COP27 - A View From My Chair

  • Bennie_R97's Avatar
    @Hedwig This is a really interesting point that you have made here. And you are right ! US and China produce the most greenhouse gases. I can say that China in recent years has been doing so much more work in order to reduce their emissions, researches actually show that they have done more than the US.
    I think that it is always tricky when it comes to who is responsible for carbon foot prints as there are so many different aspects that need to be taken in consideration. Such as the problem surrounding the ethical,environmental and political aspects of different countries.
  • GSimpson's Avatar
    Level 13
    @retrotecchie

    Very interesting thread, especially in the light of the failure of COP27.

    I wonder who will be contributing to the new fund set up to give money to those countries suffering the most from climate change. It will be an enormous argument over
    • who is and who isn't a developing country,
    • should countries pay in the proportion in which they have caused the problem and
    • were some problems on the ground actually self-inflicted rather than as a result of climate change.

    For interest, the top 10 countries who have cumulatively contributed most to global warming are:

    USA 20.3%
    China 11.4%
    Russia 6.9%
    Brazil 4.5%
    Indonesia 4.1%
    Germany 3.5%
    India 3.4%
    UK 3%
    Japan 2.5%
    Canada 2.6%

    Many countries have managed to reduce their carbon footprint. Some have carried on regardless of the damage they are doing. For example, China is now responsible for 25% of the current yearly total and show every liklihood of increasing that proportion.
    Last edited by GSimpson; 20-11-22 at 14:01.
  • Plantagenet's Avatar
    Level 18
    @GSimpson

    Well the goverment have “topped” out on borrowing so at the ground level it will be the tax payer.
  • retrotecchie's Avatar
    Level 92
    China is now responsible for 25% of the current yearly total and show every liklihood of increasing that proportion.

    It would be very interesting to take the figures and, rather than work out emissions per country, work it out as emissions per capita.

    It never came as much of a surprise to me to know that the per capita consumption, and hence carbon footprint, of a typical American was some 1.5 to 2 times that of a typical European.

    In fact, if you work out percentage emissions per million capita of population, it looks a bit like this:

    Country Percent CO2 Pop (million) Per Million Capita
    India 3.4 1380 0.00246376811594203
    China 11.4 1439 0.0079221681723419
    Indonesia 4.1 274 0.014963503649635
    Japan 2.5 126 0.0198412698412698
    Brazil 4.5 213 0.0211267605633803
    Germany 3.5 84 0.0416666666666667
    UK 3 68 0.0441176470588235
    Russia 6.9 146 0.0472602739726027
    USA 20.3 331 0.0613293051359517
    Canada 2.6 38 0.068421052631579

    So, Canada are the worst culprits, followed by the USA. The UK is fourth after Russia, China is almost at the bottom of that list with India only having a third of the footprint of China, per million population.





    Last edited by retrotecchie; 20-11-22 at 15:46.
    Don't shoot me, I'm only the piano player. I DON'T work for or on behalf of EON.Next, but am willing to try and help if I can. Not on mains gas, mobile network or mains drainage. House heated almost entirely by baby dragons.
  • GSimpson's Avatar
    Level 13
    It would be very interesting to take the figures and, rather than work out emissions per country, work it out as emissions per capita

    Some very surprising results for cumulative emissions per capita based on 2021 population:

    1 New Zealand
    2. Canada
    3 Australia
    4. United States
    5 Argentina
    6 Quatar
    7 Gabon
    8. Malasia
    9 Congo
    10 Nicaragua
    11 Paraguay
    12 Kazakhstan
    13 Zambia
    14 Panama
    15 Ivory Coast
    16 Costa Rica
    17 Bolivia
    18 Kuwait
    19 Trinidad and Tobago
    20 UAE
  • retrotecchie's Avatar
    Level 92
    @GSimpson

    Yes, we don't even figure in that list, but I posted the data for the top ten countries above. New Zealand's emissions are mostly sheep related, I would imagine.
  • GSimpson's Avatar
    Level 13
    [QUOTE=retrotecchie;23356 New Zealand's emissions are mostly sheep related, I would imagine.[/QUOTE]

    New Zealand was responsible for massive deforestation in the 19thcentury. The very tiny population at the time had very high annual per-capita emissions, with the cumulative total by 1900 making up around two-thirds of the total by today.

    As an example, this type of background makes it impossible to fairly apportion responsibility to a country, they all have different reasons for their emissions being measured too high or too low. As I said earlier, much opportunityfor endless arguments.
  • meldrewreborn's Avatar
    Level 91
    @GSimpson

    NZ still exports huge amounts of timber, but from managed forestry now. How it counts on the emissions scorecard will depend on what it’s used for I suppose.
    Current Eon Next customer, ex EDF, Zog and Symbio. Don't think dual fuel saves money and don't like smart meters. Chronologically Gifted. If I offend let me know by private message, but I’ll continue to express my opinions nonetheless.
  • meldrewreborn's Avatar
    Level 91
    @GSimpson

    Endless scope for spin doctors, activists, lawyers and politicians.