The 15 countries that pollute the environment the most

By Luciana Spacca

In 2021, carbon dioxide emissions will experience the second largest increase in history – 1.5 billion tonnes more. This is what data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) reveals.

Discover the 15 countries that pollute the environment more, according to the 2018 Global Carbon Atlas.

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1- China

Topping the list is China, with 10 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted per year. This represents almost 28% of total global emissions. The most polluting country in the world is fighting to eliminate the release of CO2 into the atmosphere by 2060.

2- United States

The United States has held the top spot for over 160 years. Today, the country emits around 5.2 billion tonnes of CO2 per year, ranking second.

3- India

India closes the top 3 of the most polluting countries with 2.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted. The burning of oil and the increase in consumer goods, such as cars and electronics, are mainly responsible for keeping the country in third place.

4- Russia

Massive industrialization during the Soviet Union still has consequences for Russians and places the country in fourth place, with 1.6 billion tons of CO2 released into the atmosphere each year.

5- Japan

With 1.1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted each year, Japan has industrial production as the main villain in the fight against global pollution.

6- Iran

Iran is responsible for the release of 780 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. In 2010, the authorities had to declare a public holiday in the city of Tehran due to the high level of air pollution in the capital of the country.

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7- Germany

Germany is the most polluting country in the European Union. With 702 million tonnes of CO2 emitted annually, the Germans have in their thermoelectric power plants and the expansion of the livestock sector the main responsible for occupying the seventh position in the ranking.

8- Indonesia

Indonesia occupies eighth place in the ranking for emitting 618 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. In 2018, the people of Jakarta sued the country’s government for air pollution negligence.

9- South Korea

Asia’s fourth-largest economy releases 611 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere each year. Seoul City is South Korea’s most polluted city as it is home to most of the country’s industrial areas.

10- Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia emits 582 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. The country is the world’s largest oil exporter and the capital Riyadh was once considered the most polluted city in the world.

11- Canada

The 577 million tonnes of CO2 emitted annually into the atmosphere by Canada have already had concrete effects in the country itself: this year, the greenhouse effect has enabled Canadians to withstand temperatures above 49 ° C. vs.

12- South Africa

South Africa emits 479 million tonnes of CO2. According to data from researchers at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, on the African continent, pollution kills more than diseases caused by untreated water and malnutrition.

13- Brazil

With 466 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted each year, Brazil is one of the Latin American countries that pollutes the environment the most. The goal is to achieve CO2 neutrality by 2050.

14- Mexico

Until the 1990s, Mexico City was considered the most polluted city in the world. Mexico releases 439 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year and intends to reduce this amount by 22% by 2030.

15- Australia

Australia emits 411 million tonnes of CO2 and has been fighting forest fires for years, one of the main causes of air pollution in the country. From July 2019 to January 2020, the country had around 10 million hectares destroyed by fire.