The world is increasingly recognizing the serious issues of global warming and climate disruption. Today, we will look at the top 10 countries with the highest greenhouse gas emissions, which could slow down the achievement of global climate goals.
In 2024, global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels are expected to reach 37.4 billion tons, the highest on record, representing a 0.8% increase from 2023. This trend shows that even though global campaigns to reduce CO₂ emissions are ongoing, emissions are still on the rise. This discrepancy means that global goals, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30-40% by 2030, achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, and reaching net-zero emissions by 2065, may be delayed or harder to reach.
According to data from GeeksforGeeks, the top 10 countries with the highest greenhouse gas emissions are as follows:
- China – 10.667 billion tons
- United States – 4.712 billion tons
- India – 2.441 billion tons
- Russia – 1.577 billion tons
- Japan – 1.030 billion tons
- Iran – 745 million tons
- Germany – 644 million tons
- Saudi Arabia – 625 million tons
- South Korea – 597 million tons
- Indonesia – 589 million tons
Meanwhile, Thailand ranks 20th in the world for greenhouse gas emissions (Climate Watch Data, 2020). The majority of emissions come from the energy sector, accounting for over 70%. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment reports the latest greenhouse gas emissions data for Thailand, which includes:
- Energy sector: 69.06%, or 257,340.89 GgCO2eq, mainly from fuel combustion in the energy industry (40.05%), transportation (29.16%), manufacturing and construction industries (20.24%), and others (6.56%).
- Agriculture sector: 15.69%, or 58,486.02 GgCO2eq, mostly from crop cultivation (77.57%), livestock farming (22.43%), biomass burning from agricultural waste (2.92%), and urea fertilizer use (2.86%).
- Industrial processes and product use: 10.77%, or 40,118.14 GgCO2eq, with non-metallic minerals industries (51.28%), chemical industries (33.17%), and ozone-depleting substances (13.33%).
- Waste sector: 4.48%, or 16,703.68 GgCO2eq, primarily from waste disposal (52.53%), wastewater treatment (45.71%), waste incineration (1.08%), and biowaste treatment (0.68%).
Source: GeeksforGeeks, Department of Climate Change and Environment, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
CR. springnews.co.th
