Dear Editor,
In November 2021, the United Nations released a study about global pollution with CO2 emissions and Climate Change on a grand scale. According to the report the below countries are the world’s top ten worst polluters and the cause of the concomitant adverse effects on climate change and environmental degradation:
1) Qatar – just about 2 million people with 37.05 metric tons of CO2 per capita (this is twice the average per US resident)
2) Kuwait – 4.3 million people, responsible for 23.9 metric tons of CO2 per capita (this is three times more than China)
3) Saudi Arabia – the largest country in the Middle East, with a population of 34 million people with an average of 19.39 metric tons of CO2 for every inhabitant
4) Canada – 38 million inhabitants, with an average of 16.85 metric tons of emissions
5) The United States of America – 15.74 metric tons of CO2 per person and generates 15% of all CO2 emissions globally (second to China)
6) Germany – 82 million people with an average of 9.7 metric tons of CO2 per capita
7) China – 1.4 billion people with an average of 7.72 metric tons of CO2 and alone is responsible for 24% of all carbon emissions around the globe
8) Spain – 47 million people with an average of 6.09 metric tons of CO2 per person
9) France – 65.4 million people with an average of 5.02 metric tons of CO2 per capita
10) Thailand – 70 million people with an average of 4.05 metric tons of CO2 per inhabitant
It is no doubt that these advanced economies over the last century in their quest to become industrialized nations, have had a devastating impact on Climate Change and the global environment, and in such pursuits and achievements these countries are the main culprits. Even at the start of the 20th century, Climate Change was largely seen as an esoteric study into a theoretical scientific marvel. However, in the latter half of the 20th century, environmental issues entered the intergovernmental and international arenas for the first time at Stockholm, Sweden in 1972 and between 1988 and 2021 numerous panels and protocols were established to tackle Climate Change.
As such, these wealthy nations are the ones who must take a lead role in fighting Climate Change and at the same time lend support to emerging and developing states to develop their economies in an environmentally friendly manner as a means of avoiding carbon footprints. Furthermore, in doing so, it would be unfair for the developed countries to be establishing Climate Change Treaties one after the other and not complying with these protocols and, at the same time expect the remainder of the world to comply.
Sincerely yours,
Paul Ramrattan
