The countries in the world that emit the most carbon dioxide

There are three rankings that measure global carbon dioxide emissions: total, per capita, and cumulative historical series. 

The ranking of total emissions It is important because it indicates which countries contribute most to the increase in CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere todayIn fact, the climate responds to the overall quantity of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, not the average per capita.

These ten countries together represent approximately two-thirds of global CO₂ emissionsThe top three countries—China, the United States, and India—together account for about half of total emissions.

In absolute terms, Italy emits approximately 300–350 million tons of CO₂ per year (0,3–0,35 gigatonnes), which places it between 17th and 20th in the ranking.

The second ranking, that of the per capita emissions It is important because it measures how much CO₂ is emitted, on average, per inhabitantIt is a metric often used to discuss fairness and individual responsibility, but it answers a different question than total emissions and compare lifestyles and economic systems. If a country has high per capita emissions, it means that, on average, each person is associated with a high level of emissions, due to consumption, transport, heating, industry, or the energy mix.

Italy is placed rather low in the world ranking of per capita emissions, with approximately 5–6 tons of CO₂ per inhabitant per year, and a position  around 50th–60th place, depending on the year and the source used.

The third ranking, instead, refers to the cumulative historical emissions, starting from the beginning of the Industrial Revolution around 1850: it is important because climate change depends on theaccumulation of CO₂ in the atmosphere over time, not just from a single year's emissions.

Every ton of CO₂ emitted can remain in the atmosphere for decades or centuries. Consequently, the climate crisis observed today is the result of the sum of emissions produced since the beginning of the industrial era.

Italy is generally among the 10st and 15th place in the ranking of cumulative historical emissions, with approximately 1–1,5% of the world total since the beginning of industrialization.

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