The greenhouse effect, which is essential to keeping Earth’s temperatures habitable, has been amplified by the burning of fossil fuels. This amplification of the natural greenhouse effect has led to significant changes in the planet’s climate system. The figure above uses data from the Global Carbon Atlas to examine which countries contribute the most to CO₂ emissions. According to the Global Carbon Atlas, the world’s largest emitters are China, India, and the US, which accounted for 52 % of the world’s CO₂ in 2021. In terms of per capita CO₂ emissions (metric tons), the US is relatively high at 15.32, while China and India are lower at 7.44 and 1.89. Historically, the US is the largest carbon emitter, having emitted 422 billion metric tons of CO₂ into the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution. This is equivalent to almost a quarter of all CO₂ produced from fossil fuels and industrial activities. Given their huge populations and the fact that countries typically increase their emissions as they become more developed, China and India could continue to increase their share. The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that India's share of global emissions could rise to 10% by 2030. (Marcus Lu)