Sweden doing most to fight global warming, Saudi Arabia the least

Sweden doing most to fight global warming, Saudi Arabia the least
mongabay.com
November 13, 2006

Sweden, Britain and Denmark top the list of countries doing the most to address global warming, while the United States, China, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia rank as doing the least according to a new report released by environmental groups. Still, warns the report, even the best ranking countries are not doing enough to stave off climate change.

"If climate change protection were an Olympic Discipline, no country would make it to the medal ranks", said Matthias Duwe, Director of Climate Action Europe, one of the groups behind the 2007 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI).

The index, which ranks 56 countries that were part of a 1992 climate treaty or contribute at least 1 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, took into account emissions trends, emissions levels and climate policy.

Emissions trends

Emissions levels

Climate policy

The countries making up the index are responsible for 90 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. According to the Germanwatch, the environmental group that made the calculations for the index, the United States, the world's largest carbon dioxide polluter, emits 21.8 percent of global CO2 despite only having 4.6 percent of the world's population. The second largest CO2 emitter, China, has 17.9% of the world's share of carbon dioxide emissions but 20.5 percent of the population.

According to Reuters, Monday White House spokesman Tony Snow claimed that President Bush "has made dealing with climate change a priority for this administration."

Highest ranked countries

Lowest ranked countries

Scientists say that rising greenhouse gas emissions are at least partly responsible for a 1-degree rise in average global temperatures over the past century. Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide levels now stand at the highest level in 650,000 years and are more than 35 percent higher than at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Scientists have warned that Earth may be on the brink of catastrophic climate change that could affect ocean currents, weather, precipitation, and sea levels.

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