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Explainer | Explained: how climate change will affect Asia
- In 2017, China, India and Japan were ranked first, third and fifth among the world’s worst polluting countries
- However, developing countries have argued they should be allowed to continue increasing emissions as they industrialise
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Asia’s vast population and the frequency of natural disasters ensure climate change will have a devastating impact in the region. Yet it is also a hotbed for the human activities that cause global warming: Asia is home to three of the world’s top five polluters: China, India, and Japan.
The transition towards non-emitting sources of energy has been uneven, with some countries, like India, becoming global champions of renewables, while others, like Japan, doing little to address the emissions problems.
How much does Asia contribute to the global warming?
Population booms ensure Asia emits more carbon dioxide (CO2) – one of the main causes of the Earth’s rising temperature – than any other region.
In 2017, China, India and Japan were ranked first, third and fifth among the world’s worst polluting countries, according to the Global Carbon Project. China’s emissions alone account for a quarter of global CO2 emissions.
However, when emissions are calculated on a per capita basis, Japan is the only Asian country to rank among the world’s top five. Historically, North America and Europe accounted for half the CO2 emitted since the Industrial Revolution, while China and India accounted for just 14 per cent.
Due to these historical differences, developing countries have argued they should be allowed to continue increasing their emissions as they industrialise, while developed countries should curb their emissions as soon as possible.
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