A new report reveals the world’s most polluting cities. Climate Trace, an organization co-founded by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, reports at COP29 that six out of seven states or provinces that emitted more than 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases are from China. Texas, USA, ranks 6th among the most polluting urban areas.
When looking at the list of states and provinces that emit the greatest amount of greenhouse gases, China’s Shandong leads with 1.28 billion metric tons of emissions. Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu, and Guangdong in China are other areas that emit more than a billion metric tons of emissions.
Texas, USA, is the only state outside China listed as a billion-ton polluter.
Shanghai, China, alone emitted 256 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, which is more than most nations of the world.
In cities, Tokyo, Japan, emits 250 million metric tons of emissions, while New York City (160 million metric tons), Houston (150 million metric tons), and Seoul in South Korea (142 million metric tons) are some other notable cities releasing the most heat-trapping gases and pollutants.
These high emissions are mainly due to the use of fossil fuels. China’s emissions saw a spike last year, and they continue to rise.
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Greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere are responsible for trapping more heat from the Sun than desired, driving global mean temperatures to rise at an unprecedented rate.
The Climate Trace report combines observations and artificial intelligence to measure emissions. Ground-level observations and satellite data are used with the help of AI to track urban pollutants. Greenhouse gas emissions tracked include carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Climate Trace also takes into account other traditional pollutants. Currently, 9,000 urban areas globally are being tracked.
“Greenhouse gas emissions break a new record, have yet to peak. Global greenhouse gas emissions rose 0.7% in 2023, and we will likely see another slight increase – 0.48% – in 2024. Between 2015 (the year of the Paris Agreement) and 2023, global emissions have increased 9.2% or 5.2 billion tonnes CO2e.”
Climate Trace
Big regions like China, India, Indonesia, and Russia continue to use more fossil fuels for their growing energy demands. On a balancing act to some extent, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States have shown a decrease in pollution.
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COP29, the biggest United Nations Climate Summit of the year, is currently holding negotiations for curbing emissions and mobilizing trillions in climate finance. Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change are required to submit their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) by February 2025 to reaffirm their commitments to tackling the climate change crisis.
