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.

This quiz explores the distribution of global emissions, highlighting the contributions of top and bottom emitters across different continents and countries.