Written by Christine Wincetaylo, General Member
Climate change has become a popular topic in the world.
There are things we can do as citizens to help reduce climate change's impacts, but what are countries doing? What are the countries producing the most emissions doing to tackle their consumption?
The biggest polluters from 2022 are:
In 2022, China was the biggest polluter, pumping out around 50 billion metric tons of planet-heating gases, which make up nearly 30% of global emissions.
Next was the United States, India, and the European Union.
Let's see what these four countries are doing.
China
China needs to transition from coal to renewable energy to reduce emissions.
In 2019, renewables accounted for nearly 15 percent of China’s power, compared to 7 percent a decade earlier.
At the end of 2019, Shenzhen had 16,432 pure electric buses, which save energy by 72.9%, compared to diesel feud buses.
Beijing and other provinces are incentivizing electric vehicle use. In 2020, 1.37 million new energy vehicles—which include battery electric and more. There was an 11 percent increase compared to the year before. Regardless, some new energy vehicles are still made from fossil fuels.
President of China, Xi Jinping, has recognized climate change as a top concern for the country by making pledges to address it, such as achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. Also, programs such as The China Clean Development Mechanism Fund (CCDMF) prioritize how to navigate and adapt to climate change. The seed fund provides grants and supports institutions to assist with “carbon market construction, low-carbon publicity, training, and other activities, and to support national strategies on climate change”(Maizland, 2021). The fund helps support projects in China tackling climate change, including “the Caoqiao Combined-Cycle Thermal Power Plant Cogeneration Project in Beijing and Binhai New Area Waste Incineration Project in Tianjin” (Maizland, 2021).
United States
Similarly to China, the goals are similar, but the US has different strategies to tackle various issues surrounding their emissions in the country. There are four reports to explore. Firstly, the U.S. National Climate Strategy explains how focusing on policies and actions (e.g., technology and infrastructure) will help the USA reduce emissions by 50-52% below 2005 levels in 2030. Next is The Long-Term Strategy of the United States to Reach Net-Zero Emissions by 2050, which is connected to the Paris Agreement and looks at ways to create a pathway that will reach the goals for the 2050 net-zero goal. Also, The U.S. National Communication and Biennial Report explores all the policies and actions focused on climate action as of 2020. Lastly, there is The U.S. Adaptation Communication. This report builds on the last two reports and explains the impact, progress, lessons learned, and other approaches that will increase emissions reduction in the US.
Programs that the USA has created for climate change action:
American Climate Corps: Trains young people in clean energy, conservation, and climate resilience-related skills; they also created a website where people can find opportunities. Also, President Biden is encouraging the Chief Executive Officer of AmeriCorps to consider expanding access to Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards to American Climate Corps members conducting national service work. Five states nationwide, California, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, and Washington, have launched successful Climate Corps programs.
India
India will reduce the emissions intensity of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 45% (compared with 2005 levels) and achieve 50% total installed electric power capacity from non-fossil fuel energy sources.
Programs Created:
LiFE Movement (Lifestyle for Environment) promotes a healthy, low-consumption, and sustainable lifestyle using a circular economy approach.
Leadership Group for Industry Transition, co-founded by India, the country aims to develop hydrogen from renewable energy sources (ex, wind and solar power). The National Infrastructure Pipeline is one of the initiatives.
India has co-founded the International Solar Alliance (ISA) with France, focusing on promoting energy access and transition. ISA has 110 countries as members and is pursuing nine programs promoting solar projects in developing countries.
European Union
In 2019, EU leaders meeting within the European Council agreed that the EU should achieve climate neutrality (only emitting as much greenhouse gas into the atmosphere as nature can absorb) by 2050. Then, in 2020, the European Climate Law was initiated and was set as a legally binding target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Since 1990, the energy industry has led the way with a 47% decrease. By 2020, the EU had already achieved a 30% reduction compared to 1990.
Climate change Program:
Created the European Climate Pact: The European Climate Pact brings individuals, communities, and organizations together to fight climate change and adapt to negative impacts. The pact allows people to learn about climate change, develop and implement solutions, and connect with others to create a more significant effect.
Many changes are needed for the world to help reduce emissions, but do you think these countries are doing enough to reduce their emissions?
References
China’s Achievements, New Goals, and New Measures for Nationally Determined Contributions. (2022). https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/NDC/2022-06/China%E2%80%99s%20Achievements%2C%20New%20Goals%20and%20New%20Measures%20for%20Nationally%20Determined%20Contributions.pdf
European Council of the European Union. (2024). Climate change: what the EU is doing. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/climate-change/
European Union. European Climate Pact. https://climate-pact.europa.eu/about/about-pact_en
Maizland,L. (2021). China’s Fight Against Climate Change and Environmental Degradation. Council on Foreign Relations.
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/china-climate-change-policies-environmental-degradation
Paddison, L, & Choi, A. (2024). As climate chaos accelerates, which countries are polluting the most? CNN. https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2023/12/us/countries-climate-change-emissions-cop28/
The London School of Economics and Political Science. How is India tackling climate change?
(2022). Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment. https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/explainers/how-is-india-tackling-climate-change/
The White House.(2023). Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Launches American Climate Corps to Train Young People in Clean Energy, Conservation, and Climate Resilience Skills, Create Good-Paying Jobs and Tackle the Climate Crisis.
The White House. (2021). The Long-Term Strategy Of The United States: Pathways to Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2050. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/US-Long-Term-Strategy.pdf
World Economic Forum. (2023). India holds the key to hitting global climate change targets. Here’s why. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/india-holds-the-key-to-hitting-global-climate-change-targets-here-s-why/