Ranked: CO₂ Emissions Per Person in 30 Economies

Ranked: CO₂ Emissions Per Person in 30 Economies

CO₂ emissions are reshaping the rules, costs, and flows of international trade as countries adapt to the push for carbon neutrality.

This graphic, created in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation, visualizes CO₂ emissions per person across 30 major economies. Data is from the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR).

The analysis comes from the 2024 Sustainable Trade Index (STI), which the Hinrich Foundation produced in collaboration with the IMD World Competitiveness Center.

Data Overview

To create the metric, data on carbon emissions per person from EDGAR were converted into a numerical index score. Scores were averaged for each economy, with a range of 0 to 100. 

Relatively high CO₂ emissions per person translated into a low (and unfavorable) STI emissions score. Conversely, relatively low CO₂ emissions per capita translated into a high (and thus favorable) STI emissions score.

As the race to net zero continues, carbon emissions will likely gain significance in the global trade landscape. Some countries and regions are beginning to implement carbon border taxes or adjustment mechanisms (CBAM). This is designed to increase the cost of goods from higher-emitting countries to protect local, lower-emitting firms and industries. The EU, for example, is developing a CBAM to impose tariffs on imports based on their carbon emissions. 

As expected, countries with lower GDP per capita—including Papua New Guinea and Bangladesh—scored well on the CO₂ emissions per capita metric. Conversely, higher income countries—such as Canada and Australia—scored poorly on this metric. This is primarily due to their higher levels of energy consumption and industrialization.

Explore the Sustainable Trade Index

This infographic provides a preview of the Sustainable Trade Index, which evaluates 30 major economies using 72 economic, societal, and environmental indicators. Download the free report from the Hinrich Foundation.