India accounted for almost 20 percent of the global population in 2021, but just seven percent of global greenhouse gas emissions that year. India's contributions to historical carbon dioxide emissions are even lower, at just four percent. Overall, India is estimated to be responsible for around five percent of global warming since 1850. By comparison, the United States, which represented just four percent of the global population in 2021, is the biggest contributor to climate change, with approximately 17 percent of warming linked to the North American country since 1850.
Current and historic contributions to global warming and emissions in India from 1850 to 2021
(in percent)
This figure contrasts the distribution of global population in 2021 (total = 7.86 billion), GHG emissions in 2021 (total = 51.6 GtCO₂e), cumulative CO₂ emissions (total = 2,200 GtCO₂) and historic contributions to warming (total = 1.61°C). Historic contributions to warming result from cumulative CO₂ emissions, but also estimated CH4, N₂O and F-gas emissions (cooling from aerosols is excluded, leading to a higher estimate of warming than currently observed). Note that due to missing data, these totals are not complete for all categories and exclude, for example, international transport. Current GHG and cumulative CO₂ emissions include net LULUCF CO₂ emissions (global bookkeeping approach) to align with historical emissions estimates (note that this leads to differences with section 2.3.1 where national inventories are used). Non-CO₂ gases are converted to CO₂ equivalents using global warming potentials with a 100-year time horizon from the IPCC AR6.
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UNEP. (November 20, 2023). Current and historic contributions to global warming and emissions in India from 1850 to 2021 (in percent) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1450921/historic-contributions-to-global-warming-india/
UNEP. "Current and historic contributions to global warming and emissions in India from 1850 to 2021 (in percent)." Chart. November 20, 2023. Statista. Accessed November 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1450921/historic-contributions-to-global-warming-india/
UNEP. (2023). Current and historic contributions to global warming and emissions in India from 1850 to 2021 (in percent). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1450921/historic-contributions-to-global-warming-india/
UNEP. "Current and Historic Contributions to Global Warming and Emissions in India from 1850 to 2021 (in Percent)." Statista, Statista Inc., 20 Nov 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1450921/historic-contributions-to-global-warming-india/
UNEP, Current and historic contributions to global warming and emissions in India from 1850 to 2021 (in percent) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1450921/historic-contributions-to-global-warming-india/ (last visited November 21, 2024)
Current and historic contributions to global warming and emissions in India from 1850 to 2021 (in percent) [Graph], UNEP, November 20, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1450921/historic-contributions-to-global-warming-india/