China's carbon dioxide emissions have risen more than fivefold since 1990, with the country accounting for around 34 percent of total global CO₂ emissions in 2023. In comparison, CO₂ emissions in the United Kingdom were almost 50 percent lower than in 1990.
Why have emissions in the UK dropped?
The UK achieved the biggest emissions reductions between 1990 and 2023 among the world's 20 biggest CO₂ emitters. Much of the UK’s emissions cuts are attributable to the country’s phase-out of coal-fired power and the shift toward natural gas and renewable energy sources.
CO₂ emissions growth in developing countries
While emissions in developed countries, including the UK, U.S. Japan, and Germany, have experienced overall reductions since 1990, those in developing regions have soared. For example, rapid economic development has seen annual CO₂ emissions in India increase almost fivefold since 1990 to around three billion metric tons, while those in Vietnam have grown almost 2,000 percent.