Global Emissions Distribution

Global Emissions and Distribution

• Top 10% emitters contribute to 45% of global emissions, while bottom 50% emitters contribute to 13% of global emissions.
• Top 10% emitters live on all continents, with one third of them from emerging countries.
• The top 1% richest Americans, Luxemburgers, Singaporeans, and Saudi Arabians are the highest individual emitters.

Climate Action and Finance

• Contributions to climate adaptation funds remain almost entirely financed by developed nations, with 62% coming from Europe.
• A global progressive carbon tax could raise €150 billion annually for climate adaptation.
• Two strategies are proposed to raise funds:
  • Strategy 1: all emitters above world average emissions (6.2tCO2e per year) contribute to the scheme in proportion to their emissions above the threshold.
  • Strategy 2: the effort is shared by all top 10% emitters in the world.

Distribution of Emissions

• Figure E.1 shows the breakdown of top 10%, middle 40%, and bottom 50% CO2e emitters, with top 10% emitters contributing to 45% of world emissions, middle 40% emitters contributing to 42% of world emissions, and bottom 50% emitters contributing to 13% of world emissions.

Regional Emissions

• North Americans would contribute to 36% of the fund, vs. 21% for Europeans, 15% for China, and 20% for other countries in Strategy 1.
• Figure 1.B shows the distribution of current production-based CO2e emissions.
• Figure 1.C shows the distribution of cumulated production-based historical CO2e emissions.
• Figure 2A shows the share in global CO2e emissions since 1820.
• Figure 2B shows the share in cumulated global CO2e emissions since 1820.
• Figure 3 shows global CO2e emissions per region, from 1820 to today.