Cities in Asia and the US emit heat-trapping gas that fuels climate change, with Shanghai being the most polluting, according to AP News.
Countries at UN climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan, are trying to set new targets to cut emissions. The data comes at a time when climate officials and eco-activists are becoming increasingly frustrated with what they see as countries’ failure to curb fossil fuel use.
Seven Chinese provinces emit over 1 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases and the US Texas ranks sixth, according to new data co-founded by former US Vice President Al Gore and released at COP29 on Friday.
The Earth’s total carbon dioxide and methane pollution rose 0.7% to 61.2 billion metric tonnes, while short-lived but very potent methane rose 0.2%. According to Climate Trace, Shanghai’s 256 million metric tonnes of greenhouse gases outpaced all cities and exceeded those of the countries of Colombia or Norway.
Tokyo’s 250 million metric tonnes would rank in the top 40, while New York’s 160 million metric tonnes and Houston’s 150 million metric tonnes would be in the top 50 for emissions nationwide. Seoul, South Korea, ranks fifth among cities with 142 million metric tonnes.
China, India, Russia, Iran, Indonesia and Russia had the largest increases in emissions between 2022 and 2023, whereas Venezuela, Japan, Germany, the UK and the US showed the largest decreases in pollution.
Failing climate talks
Ex-US Vice President Al Gore claimed that climate talks were fighting fossil fuel interests, criticising the holding of talks, called COP, by Azerbaijan, an oil country.
It’s unfortunate that the fossil fuel industry and the petrostates have seized control of the COP process to an unhealthy degree. Next year in Brazil, we’ll see a change in that pattern. But, you know, it’s not good for the world community to give the No. 1 polluting industry in the world that much control over the whole process.
On Friday, former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, former UN climate chief Christina Figueres and leading climate scientists also called for “an urgent overhaul” of the climate talks. One of the key advantages of the UN climate negotiation process is that it is the only place where affected small island states have an equal seat at the table, UN Environment Programme Executive Director Inger Andresen said.
