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China’s carbon emissions have now caused more global warming than EU, report says (www.carbonbrief.org)

submitted 4 weeks ago by 0x815@feddit.org to c/environment@beehaw.org

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cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/4928706

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While developed countries have used the majority of this budget, the analysis shows that China’s historical emissions reached 312GtCO2 in 2023, overtaking the EU’s 303GtCO2.

China is still far behind the 532GtCO2 emitted by the US, however, according to the analysis.

The findings by Carbonbrief come amid fraught negotiations at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, where negotiators have been invoking the “principle of historical responsibility” in their discussions over who should pay money towards a new goal for climate finance – and how much.

[...]

Historical CO2 emissions matter for climate change, because there is a finite “carbon budget” that can be released into the atmosphere before a given level of global warming is breached.

For example, in order to limit warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, only around 2,800GtCO2 can be added to the atmosphere, counting all emissions since the pre-industrial period. (This is according to a 2023 study updating figures from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.)

Cumulative emissions since 1850 will reach 2,607CO2 by the end of 2024, according to Carbon Brief’s new analysis, meaning that some 94% of the 1.5C budget will have been used up.

[...]

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[–] IrritableOcelot@beehaw.org 12 points 4 weeks ago (4 children)

I mean...duh. When Europe and the US outsource so much of their heavy manufacturing to China, that's effectively offloading a colossal amount of their emissions. Since China has few energy resources other than coal, it amplifies the issue.

[–] 0x815@feddit.org 5 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

As I said multiple times, this is one reason among others why we need transparent supply chains. It is exactly China which opposes this. This is bad for world (and bad for China, too).

[–] DdCno1@beehaw.org 5 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I think both of you are overlooking that a significant portion of China's CO2 emissions are solely caused by their wasteful construction of useless buildings that solely exist as investments and will never be occupied by anyone.

[–] beedog@beehaw.org 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I may have overlooked but I did not find specific data in the article on the breakdown of building construction and/or cement production versus emissions for other categories. Can you cite the source with data that helped you reached your conclusion?

[–] DdCno1@beehaw.org 3 points 3 weeks ago

I've read this a number of times over the years, but here's a good article on the topic of cement:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46455844

A recent article (one of many) on how the wasteful building and deceptive investment practices that are rampant in China are impacting ordinary people:

https://news.sky.com/story/inside-chinas-derelict-housing-developments-and-the-bleak-reality-for-families-13181026

This statement from a former official illustrates the absurd scale of the problem:

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/23/business/china-too-many-homes-for-1-4-billion-people-intl-hnk/index.html