China emits more than 6 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year, ranking it among the top countries in the world, according to the greenhouse gas emissions data released by Maplecroft, a UK-based risk assessment company. The Chinese government faces unprecedented international pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
REUTERS/Jason Lee
NO.2 United States
The United States, which ranks second, emits 5.9 billion tons of greenhouse gases per year. It also emits 19.58 tons of carbon dioxide per capita per year, the second highest in the world after Australia.
REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
NO.3 RUSSIA
Russia's massive expansion of industrial production from 1999 to 2005 has seen its carbon dioxide emissions soar to 1.7 billion tons a year, ranking it third. President Dmitry Medvedev recently pledged to reduce Russia's greenhouse gas emissions by 20 to 25 percent by 2020 from 1990 levels.
REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin
NO.4 INDIA
The world's fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, India emits 1.29 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually, and its per capita emissions are just 1.2 tons. Given India's level of development, any move to reduce carbon emissions will lead to increased poverty.
REUTERS/Arko Datta
NO.5 JAPAN
Japan's carbon dioxide emissions fell to 1.247 billion tons in 2009, due to a drop in industrial energy demand as a result of the economic crisis, and it remains ranked fifth in the world. This figure represents a 3% drop from 2008.
REUTERS/Toru Hanai
NO.6 GERMANY
Germany's annual carbon dioxide emissions ranked sixth globally at 860 million tons. Germany has long focused on the development of new energy sources such as wind and solar power, and established a green energy support program as early as 1990. However, because of the high level of industrialization, greenhouse gas emissions still rank among the world's highest.
REUTERS/File
NO.7 Canada
Canada, ranked seventh, emits 610 million tons of greenhouse gases annually. The Canadian government is committed to achieving a 20% reduction in GHG emissions by 2020 from 2006 levels, equivalent to a 2% reduction from 1990 levels.
REUTERS/Dan Riedlhuber
NO.8 UK
The UK is ranked eighth globally in terms of annual greenhouse gas emissions at 586 million tons. The U.K. government enacted and implemented the Climate Change Act in 2008, becoming the first country in the world to legislate for greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and establishing a corresponding Department of Energy and Climate Change.
REUTERS/Nigel Roddis
NO.9 South Korea
South Korea's annual greenhouse gas emissions are 514 million tons, ranking ninth globally. South Korea has pledged to reduce annual GHG emissions by 4% from 2005 levels by 2020, equivalent to a 30% reduction from 1990 levels.
REUTERS/Jo Yong-Hak
NO.10 Iran
Iran ranks 10th globally with annual greenhouse gas emissions of 471 million tons.
REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl It seems that the world's largest carbon dioxide emissions of developed countries rather than developing countries, China because of the large population base, and the world's factory is said to be the world's developing countries1 but the carbon emissions are at the forefront of the development of some countries have not yet been used in the electric light, the process of industrialization is only the beginning, to them and developed countries to reduce emissions as well. The first step in the process of industrialization is just the beginning, and it is not appropriate to ask them to reduce their emissions as much as the developed countries.