Climate Change PolicyBy the Numbers

1. India plans to nearly triple greenhouse gas emissions over the next 15 years. Why might this be fair/unfair?

2. Germany’s goals for emissions decrease are significantly more ambitious than those of other countries. How much will these cuts help to stay under the world’s total limit?

3. What do you think a fair or reasonable level of cuts for a developed country might be? You may use any measurement to describe this cut (percent reduction, CO2 emissions per capita, etc.)

Discussion Questions

A B C D E F G H I

Top 20 CO2 Emitters

in 2013

Total CO2

Emissions 1850-2012 (Gt)

Current CO2

Emissions per year (Gt)

% of Current

Total Emissions per year

% Change in GHG

Emissions in 2030 (predicted) from 2000

Population

Percent of

World Population

Current CO2

Emissions per capita (tons)

Current GDP

per capita (USD)

Current CO2

Emissions per GDP (tons CO2e/

million $)

1 China 150.1 10.3 28.33 189% 1,367,485,388 18.73 7.42 7,593.9 755.4

2 US 366.4 5.3 15.01 -39% 321,368,864 4.4 16.552 54,629.5 392.7

3 India 38.0 2.07 5.86 268% 1,251,695,584 17.15 1.654 1,595.7 490.65

4 Russia 102.7 1.80 5.10 45% 142,423,773 1.95 12.625 12,735.9 695.81

5 Japan 51.0 1.4 3.97 -19% 126,919,659 1.74 10.701 36,194.4 301.27

6 Germany 84.9 0.8 2.27 -85% 80,900,000 1.11 10.214 47,627.4 256.79

7 S Korea 13.2 0.6 1.70 7% 49,100,000 .67 12.721 27,970.5 434.63

8 Canada 28.3 0.6 1.70 -20% 35,100,000 .48 15.669 50,271.1 494.63

9 Brazil 11.8 0.5 1.42 71% 204,259,812 2.3 2.555 11,384.6 355.86

10 Indonesia 9.6 0.5 1.42 207% 255,993,674 3.5 1.950 3,491.9 348.04

11 Saudi Arabia 87.0 0.5 1.42 n/a* 27,800,000 .38 16.603 24,161.0 364.40

12 UK 70.5 0.5 1.42 -45% 64,100,000 .89 7.525 45,603.3 237.80

13 Mexico 15.0 0.5 1.42 8.7% 321,400,000 4.4 3.879 10,230.2 367.10

14 Iran 12.4 0.4 1.13 n/a* 81,800,000 1.12 5.260 5,315.1 576.28

15 Australia 14.9 0.4 1.13 -19% 22,800,000 .31 16.915 61,887.0 670.74

16 Italy 21.5 0.4 1.13 -5% 61,900,000 8.48 6.389 34,960.3 223.28

17 France 34.5 0.4 1.13 -41.5% 66,600,000 .91 5.725 42,732.6 186.89

18 Turkey 7.3 0.3 0.85 230% 79,400,000 1.09 4.408 10,529.6 314.11

19 South Africa 14.9 0.3 0.85 13% 53,700,000 .74 6.249 6,477.9 714.22

20 Poland 24.3 0.3 0.85 n/a 38,600,000 .53 8.467 14,422.8 424.54

44 Nigeria 2.8 0.08 0.85 n/a* 181,562,056 2.49 0.455 3,203.3 332.12

The Carbon Budget• ~3,000 Gt CO2 in total to remain below 2 degrees C or 3.6

degrees F

• ~1,000 Gt CO2 remaining from 2011

• per INDCs, we will be 75% through this budget in 2030