Global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels and industry totaled 37.01 billion metric tons (GtCO₂) in 2023. Emissions are projected to increase by 1.08 percent in 2024, reaching a record high of 37.41 GtCO₂. Global CO₂ emissions have increased by more than 60 percent since 1990.

Who are the largest issuers?

The largest contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions is China, followed by the United States. China has not always been the world's largest emitter, but rapid economic growth and industrialization in recent decades have seen emissions surge. Since 1990, China's CO₂ emissions have increased by almost 450 percent. By comparison, the United States' CO₂ emissions have fallen by 6.1 percent. However, the North American country remains the largest carbon polluter in history.

Global events cause emissions to drop

The COVID-19 outbreak caused global CO₂ emissions to fall by about 5.5 percent in 2020 due to lockdowns and other restrictions. However, this was not the only time in recent history when a major global event caused emissions to fall. For example, the global recession caused CO₂ levels to fall by almost two percent in 2009, while the recession of the early 1980s also had a significant impact on emissions. The largest annual percentage reduction was at the end of World War II in 1945, when emissions fell by 17 percent. (More on statista.com)