Data Exploration: Climate Inequality Data Introduction
Climate Inequality Data IntroductionHannah Ritchie and Max Roser, adapted by Bennett SherryClimate change does not impact everyone in the same way. It hurts the world’s poorest people the most, and the people who will be most impacted by climate change are those who contributed to it the least. 1260LLearn more at www.oerproject.com
2Climate Inequality Data IntroductionHannah Ritchie and Max Roser, adapted by Bennett SherryClimate change is real. But, it’s much more of a reality for some people than it is for others. We don’t know precisely what will happen in the future, but so far, the impacts of climate change are unequal and hurting the world’s poorest the most. Ironically, many of the communities that will bear the worst impacts of a changing climate first have done the least to cause the problem. In this data exploration, we will investigate the questions of who is most responsible for climate change, and who is suffering most from its effects, through the framework of climate inequality.Who emits the most?Climate change is caused by greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2). There are several ways to measure a country’s carbon dioxide emissions: for example, we can look at the total amount that it emits, or we could look at the amount emitted per person. These two measures seem to tell very different stories, and this often results in disagreement over who can really make a greater impact: rich countries with high per capita emissions or those with large populations. To help us understand the relationship between emissions and population, let’s take a look at climate inequality through a few different lenses: total emissions, emissions per capita, emissions by income group, and historical emissions.First up, the treemap visualization in Chart 1, shows annual CO2 emissions by country and by region. Treemaps are used to compare entities (such as countries or regions) in relation to others, and relative to the total. Here each inner rectangle represents a country – which are then nested and colored by region. The size of each rectangle corresponds to its annual CO2 emissions in 2017. Combined, all rectangles represent the global total.Chart 1Explore at: https://ourworldindata.org/annual-co2-emissions By Our World in Data, CC BY 4.0.
3Climate Inequality Data IntroductionHannah Ritchie and Max Roser, adapted by Bennett SherryAs you can see, Asia is by far the largest emitter as a continent, accounting for 53 percent of global emissions. China is, by a significant margin, the world’s largest emitter: it emits nearly 10 billion tonnes each year, more than one-quarter of global emissions. North America—dominated by the USA—is the second largest regional emitter at 18% of global emissions. It’s followed closely by Europe with 17 percent. Africa and South America are both fairly small emitters: accounting for 3-4 percent of global emissions each.Where in the world?We know that most global emissions originate in Asia, especially from countries with large populations like China and India. But where in the world does the average individual emit the most carbon dioxide (CO2) each year? We can calculate the contribution of the average citizen of each country by dividing its total emissions by its population. This gives us CO2 emissions per capita. The map in Chart 2 shows the differences in per capita emissions across the world.Chart 2Explore at: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/co-emissions-per-capita By Our World in Data, CC BY 4.0.This map shows that there are very large inequalities in per capita emissions across the world. The world’s largest per capita CO2 emitters are the major oil producing countries, particularly those with relatively low population size, such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Unlike countries like India and China, many of the major oil producers have a
4Climate Inequality Data IntroductionHannah Ritchie and Max Roser, adapted by Bennett Sherryrelatively small population, meaning their total annual emissions (shown in chart 1) are low, even though their per capita emissions are high. More populous countries with some of the highest per capita emissions—and therefore higher total emissions—are the United States, Australia, and Canada. These countries’ emissions are up to three times higher than the global average. In many of the poorest countries in Sub-Saharan Africa—such as Mali and Niger—per capita emissions are more than 160 times lower than the US, Australia, and Canada. In just 2.3 days, the average American or Australian emits as much as the average Malian or Nigerien in a whole year.One thing we know is that there is a strong relationship between income and per capita CO2 emissions. Countries with high standards of living emit more CO2. But, what becomes clear is that there can be large differences in per capita emissions, even between countries with similar standards of living. Many countries across Europe, for example, have much lower emissions than the US, Canada, or Australia. Prosperity is a primary driver of CO2emissions, but clearly policy and technological choices make a difference.Rich country, poor countryIn general, large countries emit more total annual carbon than small countries, and rich countries emit more on a per-person basis. By combining population size and income, we can try to determine which countries are emitting more than their “fair share.” At the top of Chart 3 is an example of this kind of calculation. It shows that the richest half of the world (high and upper-middle income countries) emits 86 percent of global CO2 emissions. The poorer half of the world emits only 14 percent. In fact, the very poorest countries (home to 9 percent of the global population) are responsible for just 0.5 percent. This disparity provides evidence you can use to evaluate whether income or population size is the primary driver of emissions.Chart 3Explore at: https://ourworldindata.org/co2-by-income-region By Our World in Data, CC BY 4.0.
5Climate Inequality Data IntroductionHannah Ritchie and Max Roser, adapted by Bennett SherryThe bottom half of Chart 3 shows emissions in the context of income by region. We see that North America, Oceania, Europe, and Latin America have disproportionately high emissions relative to their population. North America is home to only five percent of the world population but emits nearly 18 percent of the world’s CO2. Asia is home to 60 percent of the global population but emits just 49 percent. Africa has 16 percent of the population but emits just 4 percent.One way to determine whether countries over—or under—emit CO2 emissions relative to their population share is to compare per capita emissions with the global average. If the world was completely equal, everyone would emit the same amount of CO2 per year (i.e. the global average).Chart 4 shows which countries have had average per capita emissions above the global average, and which countries emit below the global average, from 1800 to 2019. Countries in red have per capita emissions above global “equity” (meaning they emit more than their population share); those in blue are below the global average. Here we see that most of those above global equity are across North America, Eurasia, and Oceania.Chart 4Explore at: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/per-capita-co2-vs-average?country=~OWID_WRL By Our World in Data, CC BY 4.0.
6Climate Inequality Data IntroductionHannah Ritchie and Max Roser, adapted by Bennett SherryHistorical emissionsSince 1751, the world has emitted over 1.5 trillion tonnes of CO2. To reach our climate goal of limiting average temperature rise to 2°C, the world needs to urgently reduce emissions. One common argument is that those countries which have historically added most to the CO2 in our atmosphere—contributing most to the problem today—should take on the greatest responsibility in tackling it.We can compare each country’s total contribution to global emissions by looking at each country’s annual CO2emissions over time. The treemap in Chart 5 shows this calculation for each country and region from 1751 to 2017—telling a very different story than the treemap in Chart 1 above. There are some key points we can learn from using this perspective:•the United States has emitted more CO2 than any other country to date: at around 400 billion tonnes since 1751, it is responsible for 25 percent of historical emissions;•this amount is twice more than China—the world’s second-largest national contributor;•the 28 countries of the European Union are also a large historical contributor at 22 percent;•many of the large annual emitters today—such as India and Brazil—are not large contributors in a historical context;•Africa’s regional contribution—relative to its population size—has been very small. This is the result of very low per capita emissions—both historically and currently.Chart 5Explore at: https://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions#per-capita-co2-emissions By Our World in Data, CC BY 4.0.
7Climate Inequality Data IntroductionHannah Ritchie and Max Roser, adapted by Bennett SherryConclusionWhen it comes to climate change, the poor have the most to lose. The majority of the world’s poorest people live in low-income countries that have not made historically significant contributions to CO2 emissions. Where should we place responsibility for future action on CO2 emissions? On those countries who are currently emitting the most CO2? What about those countries who have emitted the most CO2 over the last few centuries? How about those countries whose average citizens emit the most?
8Climate Inequality Data IntroductionHannah Ritchie and Max Roser, adapted by Bennett SherryHannah RitchieHannah is Senior Researcher and Head of Research at Our World In Data. She focuses on the long-term development of food supply, agriculture, energy, and environment, and their compatibility with global development. Hannah completed her PhD in GeoSciences at the University of Edinburgh.Max RoserMax is the founder and director of Our World in Data. He began the project in 2011 and for several years was the sole author, until receiving funding for the formation of a team. Max’s research focuses on poverty, global health, and the distribution of incomes. He is also Programme Director of the Oxford Martin Programme on Global Development at the University of Oxford, and Co-executive Director of Global Change Data Lab, the non-profit organization that publishes and maintains the website and the data tools that make OWID’s work possible.Image creditsCover image: People hardly drive their vehicles through flooded street following heavy monsoon rains which submerged low lying areas causing property damages to houses in Hyderabad, southern Sindh province, Pakistan, on July 24 2022. More than 300 people have lost their lives in floods due to heavy monsoon in Pakistan since monsoon season have started in June 2022. © Abid Zia/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images.Articles leveled by Newsela have been adjusted along several dimensions of text complexity including sentence structure, vocabulary and organization. The number followed by L indicates the Lexile measure of the article. For more information on Lexile measures and how they correspond to grade levels: www.lexile.com/educators/understanding-lexile-measures/To learn more about Newsela, visit www.newsela.com/about.The Lexile® Framework for ReadingThe Lexile® Framework for Reading evaluates reading ability and text complexity on the same developmental scale. Unlike other measurement systems, the Lexile Framework determines reading ability based on actual assessments, rather than generalized age or grade levels. Recognized as the standard for matching readers with texts, tens of millions of students worldwide receive a Lexile measure that helps them find targeted readings from the more than 100 million articles, books and websites that have been measured. Lexile measures connect learners of all ages with resources at the right level of challenge and monitors their progress toward state and national proficiency standards. More information about the Lexile® Framework can be found at www.Lexile.com.OER Project aims to empower teachers by offering free and fully supported history courses for middle- and high-school students. Your account is the key to accessing our standards-aligned courses that are designed with built-in supports like leveled readings, audio recordings of texts, video transcripts, and more. Offerings include a variety of materials, from full-year, standards-based courses to shorter course extensions, all of which build upon foundational historical thinking skills in preparation for AP, college, and beyond. To learn more about The OER Project, visit www.oerproject.com