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In recent years, climate change has become a global issue, and carbon emissions are the key factors leading to this phenomenon. Carbon emissions not only have a profound impact on the global ecological environment, but also have a broad and far-reaching impact on the economic and social development of various countries.

Definition and meaning of carbon emission

The meaning of carbon emissions are the processes by which human activities or natural processes release carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Such as methane (CH4 ), nitrous oxide (N2O), etc. These gases absorb infrared radiation from the Earth’s surface and result in an enhanced greenhouse effect, increasing global temperatures. We can divide carbon emissions into two categories–natural emissions and man-made emissions. The former’s CO2 released by natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions, plant and animal respiration, and forest fires. The latter mainly refers to the CO2 generated by human activities such as burning fossil fuels, industrial production, and transportation.

Source of carbon

Energy activities

According to the IEA data, energy production is the largest source of global carbon emissions, which accounts for about 73% of total global emissions. It mainly includes coal-fired power generation, oil and natural gas and biomass burning. In detail, when burning coal, it emits a large amount of CO2, which is the most carbon-intensive form of energy. And automobile fuel oil, natural gas power generation, etc., also produce CO2, but it is slightly lower than coal. In addition, the processes of burning wood, agricultural waste, etc., also releases CO2 and black carbon (a potent greenhouse substance).

Industrial production

Industrial production process will produce a large amount of carbon emissions, accounting for about 21% of global carbon emissions. For example, in cement manufacturing, when heating and decomposing limestone (CaCO3), it will release a lot of CO2. In steel smelting, coke acts as a reducing agent and produces CO2. In chemical industry, production processes such as synthetic ammonia and plastics rely on fossil fuels and emit a lot of greenhouse gases.

Транспортування

Transport accounts for about 16% of global carbon emissions, of which road transport (cars, trucks) is the largest source, especially fuel vehicles. And aircraft burn jet kerosene, emit CO2 and water vapor, so it creates a strong greenhouse effect at high altitude. In addition, in shipping, large cargo ships often use heavy fuel oil and have huge carbon emissions.

Risks of carbon emissions

Global warming

Excess carbon emissions will cause global temperatures to rise, and set off a chain reaction. For example, glaciers will accelerate melting which causes sea levels to rise, threatening the survival of coastal areas and island nations. And with the precipitation patterns change, in some areas, heavy rains have caused disasters, while in others, drought has intensified. These will affect agricultural production and threaten global food security.

Ecological System Destruction

Climate change has upset the original balance of the ecosystem. There are habitats for many species has been destroyed, and biodiversity has been reduced. Some plants and animals are unable to adapt to the rapidly changing climate and are in danger of extinction. The imbalance of the ecosystem further weakens its service functions such as regulating the climate, conserving water and purifying the air, forming a vicious circle.

Measurement and Monitoring of Carbon Emissions

Measurement Indicators

Common carbon emission measurement indicators are CO2 Equivalent (CO2e) and carbon footprint. Measuring method of CO2e is to convert all greenhouse gases to equivalent CO2 by global warming potential (GWP). And the carbon footprint means the total amount of carbon emissions produced directly or indirectly by an individual, business, or country over a given period of time.

Monitoring methods

There are three main methods of detection. The first kind is satellite monitoring, for example, NASA’s OCO-2 satellite tracks the global CO2 concentration distribution. The second type is ground-based monitoring stations, such as the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, record atmospheric CO2 levels for a long time. And the last one is corporate reporting, which could be done by requiring companies to disclose carbon emissions data.

How to reduce carbon emissions?

International Cooperation

In 2015, the Paris Agreement was introduced, and nearly 200 countries agreed to keep temperature rises below 2℃ and aim for 1.5℃. In addition, with carbon markets emerging, the European Union and other regions implement carbon emission trading (ETS) to incentivize companies to reduce emissions.

Policy measures

The government can guide enterprises and society to reduce carbon emissions by formulating and implementing a series of policies. It can emitter a tax on high-carbon, such as Sweden’s carbon tax, which reduces emissions by 25%. Phasing out coal is also an effective way, for example, Germany plans to completely abandon coal by 2038. In addition, many countries set a timetable for banning the sale of fuel vehicles and promote electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions.

Technological Innovation

The use of renewable energy is key to reducing emissions, so it is necessary to replace fossil fuels with solar, wind, nuclear, etc. And we can use carbon capture and storage (CCS), capturing CO2  from industrial emissions and storing it underground. Moreover, using the renewable energy to produce hydrogen, instead of fossil fuels is also an effective way.

Personal Actions

In daily life, we can choose green mobility, such as walking, cycling or public transport, and reduce the use of private cars. And also, we can use efficient appliances to reduce waste and turn off the lights to save energy. In addition, due to livestock is a major source of methane, therefore we can modify diet by reducing meat consumption to reduce carbon emissions.

Global carbon emissions

China carbon emissions

China is the world’s largest carbon emitter (about 30 per cent), which mainly from coal power generation and heavy industry. However, the Chinese government attaches great importance to tackling climate change and has taken a series of measures to control carbon emissions. For example, vigorously develop renewable energy, implement energy conservation and emission reduction policies, and commit to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

US carbon emissions by year

The United States is the country with the highest cumulative emissions in history. But largely due to shale gas replacing coal, it has declined in recent years (about 5 billion tons in 2022). However, because of a certain uncertainty in the United States in terms of policies to combat climate change, its carbon emissions are still facing challenges.

Carbon emissions in india

Due to its rapid economic development and reliance on coal, India’s carbon emissions are growing rapidly (about 2.8 billion tonnes in 2022). With coal as the main energy source, India’s energy structure is relatively unitary. This restricts its emission reduction process to a certain extent. But per capita emissions remain low.

Carbon emissions per capita by country

The per capita carbon emissions of different countries and regions vary greatly. The highest can reach about 35 tons per capita (Qatar), and the lowest is just about 0.1 tonnes per capita (some African countries). And in China, the per capita carbon emissions are about 7 tons per capita, lower than developed countries but the total amount is huge.

Carbon emissions examples

Many companies have also made efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Such as Tesla electric vehicles, compared to fuel vehicles, the whole life cycle can reduce carbon emissions by about 50%. On the contrary, American singer Taylor Swift makes frequent use of private jets. Her carbon emissions in 2022 have been reach 8,293 tons, which are 1,180 times the average annual average.

Висновок

Carbon emissions are at the heart of the climate crisis, which involve energy, industry, transportation and other sectors. Reducing carbon emissions requires global cooperation, policy support, technological innovation, and individual action. While the challenges are enormous, by working together, it is still possible to achieve harmonious coexistence between man and nature and protect the planet’s future.