The Story Behind Carbon Productivity

Human development has, to some extent, harmed the environment, with global warming and its associated problems like extreme weather and rising sea levels posing imminent threats to the world.

Greenhouse gasses, especially carbon dioxide, have been identified as the culprit in this predicament and have garnered significant attention worldwide. To better manage carbon dioxide emissions, researchers created a key indicator "carbon productivity" to evaluate countries' ability to tackle climate change. It refers to the amount of GDP produced per unit of carbon equivalents emitted. A higher value reflects a more eco-friendly economic development for the country. We thoroughly analyzed the carbon emissions of the top 20 countries in terms of GDP and drew the following conclusions.

• Since 2000, Switzerland consistently held the top position in terms of carbon productivity.

• Japan has faced challenges with decreasing carbon productivity, while other countries have made great progress.

• The top 10 countries in terms of GDP do not align with the top 10 countries in carbon productivity.

• The global average carbon productivity is significantly lower compared to the carbon productivity of any of the top 20 countries in terms of GDP.

Switzerland and Japan -- Special Cases to Manage Carbon Emissions

Since 2000, Switzerland has consistently been the frontrunner of carbon productivity. In the early 21st century, Its carbon productivity was twice that of the second-ranking country, and by 2023, it nearly tripled that of the runner-up. In 2008, Switzerland implemented a CO2 tax on stationary fossil fuel usage. This tax applies to approximately 40% of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, Switzerland has achieved a substantial 70% reduction in black carbon emissions between 2000 and 2018, largely thanks to the introduction of regulations requiring particle filters in diesel engines. Switzerland appears to have successfully balanced economic growth and environmental preservation.

In contrast, Japan has experienced a decline in carbon productivity over the same period, despite global efforts and supportive policies outlined in the Paris Agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions in 2015. Currently, Japan is grappling with a difficult task of shifting their energy systems to rely entirely on clean power. A significant aspect that influences this transition is the national power system. However, Japan has experienced a sharp decline in nuclear power generation following the Fukushima disaster in 2011. As a result, Japan has been forced to increase its reliance on fossil fuel generation, which accounted for 73% of Japan's electricity in 2022.

Inconsistent Connection Between A Country's GDP Ranking and Its Carbon Productivity

Countries with the highest GDP, such as China, India, Japan and Canada are not always in the Top 10 rankings of carbon productivity. While China and India, as developing countries, rank among the top 5 in terms of GDP, their carbon productivities are among the lowest 3. It is crucial for countries to prioritize sustainable development over sacrificing the environment for economic growth. Collaborating among countries is vital in effectively addressing global warming and emphasizing sustainable development.

The Connotation of Global Average Carbon Productivity

When comparing the carbon productivity of the global average and the top 20 countries based on GDP, we discovered that even the lowest carbon productivity among the top 20 countries is still 352% higher than the global average. This indicates that most countries worldwide are still struggling to find a balance between economic growth and environmental preservation.

Methodology

We obtained a list of top 20 countries in GDP from the WITS website and collected their carbon emissions data from 2000 to 2023 through the Berkeley Earth website. Using this information, we calculated the carbon productivity of each country and identified the top 10 countries in terms of carbon productivity. Finally, we created visual representation to demonstrate the carbon productivity of each country.

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