The world is facing a climate crisis that requires immediate action from all countries. In 2015, countries pledged to limit global warming by cutting carbon emissions. However, the commitments made by big countries have fallen short of the Paris Agreement targets. Climate monitoring sites like Carbon Action Tracker (CAT) have pointed out that many countries’ carbon neutrality plans are lacking in detail. Here’s a roundup of where the world’s top carbon emitters stand regarding their climate pledges.
China, the world’s largest emitter, is responsible for a quarter of all carbon pollution currently and 14 percent since the start of industrial times. China aims to reduce the intensity of its emissions by 65 percent by 2030 and peak emissions at the end of this decade. However, more than half of China’s energy comes from coal, which is the dirtiest fossil fuel. Nevertheless, China is also a leading producer of solar panels and electric vehicles. It has set a target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, but CAT judges these targets insufficient.
The United States, the second-largest polluter, is responsible for 25 percent of emissions during the industrial era. President Joe Biden rejoined the Paris Agreement after his predecessor, Donald Trump, pulled the US out of it. Biden has set a net-zero date for 2050 and passed the $370 billion “Inflation Reduction Act” in 2022, which includes measures to promote low-carbon energy. Biden aims to halve US emissions by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. However, Paris Equity Check, a monitoring site, states that this would still lead to warming of 3.4C if all countries reduced emissions at a comparable rate. Despite Biden’s reforms, the US is still heavily invested in fossil fuels, and he recently approved a new oil-drilling project in Alaska, which has outraged environmentalists.
The European Union is collectively the third biggest global emitter of carbon dioxide. It aims to cut carbon emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. Paris Equity Check states that this corresponds to 2.5C of warming at a global rate, while CAT judges the commitments “almost sufficient.” Recently, the EU adopted emissions measures, including a carbon border tax on imports. The legislation requires the European Union to cut carbon emissions by 62 percent by 2030 compared to 2005 levels, up from a previous target of 43 percent.
India plans to reduce its carbon intensity by up to 45 percent this decade compared to 2005 levels. It aims for carbon neutrality by 2070, but CAT says it is unclear how India plans to achieve this. India is also the largest polluter, and coal power expansion continues, but renewable energy is also growing.
Russia formally joined the Paris Agreement in 2019 and has pledged to cut its emissions by 30 percent by 2030 from 1990 levels. However, CAT rates Russia’s commitments as “critically insufficient. The country has been slow to transition to cleaner energy sources, and its climate policy has been criticized for prioritizing economic growth over environmental concerns.
Japan is the world’s third-biggest economy and heavily reliant on imported fossil fuels. The country has set a target of reducing its emissions by 46 percent by 2030 compared to 2013 levels. However, this would still result in 2C of warming at a global rate, according to CAT. To achieve its target, the Japanese government plans to restart more of the nuclear reactors that were taken offline after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
Brazil, one of the world’s largest emitters from land-use changes and deforestation, has pledged to halve its emissions by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. However, the country also has plans to expand its emissions from oil and gas, and deforestation of the Amazon, a critical absorber of carbon, has not yet been curbed. The country’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, has been accused of weakening environmental protections and encouraging deforestation in the Amazon.
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Despite the promises made in the Paris Agreement to limit global warming by reducing carbon emissions, many of the world’s biggest emitters are falling short of their commitments. India, Russia, Japan, and Brazil also have plans to reduce their emissions, but their commitments are criticized for lacking in detail or being insufficient to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
