The Countries With the Highest CO2 Emissions per Capita

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15. Turkmenistan
> CO2 emissions, metric tons per capita, 2019: 11.65
> CO2 emissions, metric tons per capita, 2010: 11.19 — #18 highest of 147 countries
> CO2 emissions per GDP, 2019: 0.71 — #2 highest of 148 countries
> Total GHG emissions, million metric tons, 2019: 143.90 — #33 highest of 87 countries

A landlocked country in Central Asia, Turkmenistan pours subsidies into oil and gas industries to modernize its economy. None of its citizens pays for electricity, gas, or heat up to a certain level of use. The government is looking to cut subsidies and reduce domestic demand. The nation of about 6 million produced the second-highest level of CO2 emissions per GDP in 2019 of any country on the list.

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14. Luxembourg
> CO2 emissions, metric tons per capita, 2020: 11.86
> CO2 emissions, metric tons per capita, 2010: 20.99 — #3 highest of 147 countries
> CO2 emissions per GDP, 2020: 0.11 — #39 lowest of 148 countries
> Total GHG emissions, million metric tons, 2019: No data

The tiny European nation of about 600,000 people had the third-highest total of CO2 emissions per capita in 2010 of any country on the list. Luxembourg has embarked on an ambitious plan to trim greenhouse-gas emissions by up to 55% by 2030 compared with 2005, and is aiming to be carbon free by 2050.

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13. Trinidad and Tobago
> CO2 emissions, metric tons per capita, 2019: 11.90
> CO2 emissions, metric tons per capita, 2010: 15.81 — #10 highest of 147 countries
> CO2 emissions per GDP, 2019: 0.48 — #9 highest of 148 countries
> Total GHG emissions, million metric tons, 2019: 22.79 — #24 lowest of 87 countries

The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago has one of the largest natural-gas liquefaction facilities in the Western Hemisphere. The island nation of 1.4 million generated the ninth-highest level of CO2 emissions per GDP in 2019 of any country on the list.

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12. United States
> CO2 emissions, metric tons per capita, 2020: 12.98
> CO2 emissions, metric tons per capita, 2010: 17.28 — #9 highest of 147 countries
> CO2 emissions per GDP, 2020: 0.22 — #53 highest of 148 countries
> Total GHG emissions, million metric tons, 2020: 4736.52 — #2 highest of 87 countries

The United States, with the world’s largest economy, produced the second-highest amount of greenhouse-gas emissions in 2020. The nation of 330 million has reduced its use of coal, natural gas, and petroleum (use of the three dropped 9% last year compared to 2019) and the use of solar and wind power is increasing, helping to initiate a transformation of America’s energy landscape. Total CO2 emissions have plunged almost 11% since 1990.

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11. Curaçao
> CO2 emissions, metric tons per capita, 2019: 13.74
> CO2 emissions, metric tons per capita, 2010: 19.12 — #5 highest of 147 countries
> CO2 emissions per GDP, 2019: 1.31 — #1 highest of 148 countries
> Total GHG emissions, million metric tons, 2019: No data

The Caribbean island nation of Curaçao may be one of the least populous countries on the list with just over 100,000 people, but it had the highest CO2 emissions per GDP in 2019. Even so, total CO2 emissions have fallen more than 66% since 2007. Curaçao imports all of its energy and is dependent on petroleum. Its goal is to achieve 50% renewable energy by 2030.