Previous Year Question

China was the world's largest annual emitter of Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) in 2015. According to the European Commission's Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR), China's CO₂ emissions were approximately 10.64 billion metric tonnes, accounting for about 29.4% of global emissions. The United States and India were also among the major emitting countries.

The principal reasons for China's high CO₂ emissions included Coal-based Power Generation, large-scale industrialization, steel and cement manufacturing, and the use of Fossil Fuels in transportation. Combustion of coal, petroleum, and natural gas releases CO₂, which strengthens the atmospheric Greenhouse Effect. China's extensive industrial production capacity and high energy demand contributed substantially to its total emissions.

The comparison of annual CO₂ emissions in 2015 among the given countries was as follows:

These figures primarily concern fossil fuel use and industrial processes. Minor differences may occur between international databases because of variations in estimation methodologies.

It is important to distinguish between Total Emissions and Per Capita Emissions. Although China had the highest total CO₂ emissions in 2015, the United States had higher emissions per person. In that year, per capita emissions were approximately 16.1 tonnes in the United States, 7.7 tonnes in China, and 1.9 tonnes in India. Total emissions are influenced by industrial production, energy consumption, population, and fuel composition, whereas per capita emissions are calculated by dividing total emissions by population.