In the global effort to reduce our carbon emissions, which countries are on the lead? Here’s the top ten, according to The Economist:
What’s causing the emission decline?
According to a study spearheaded by the Tyndall Centre at the University of East Anglia (UEA), the decline in carbon emissions is primarily linked to a number of developed economies starting to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources.
At the same time, the researchers also noticed that another reason for the decline during the 2000-2015 period was lower economic growth. Our economy slowed down at the time due to the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.
What can you do to help
While reducing carbon emissions definitely demands large strides to materialize, you can help reduce our carbon footprint by doing small steps such as:
- Going car-free or opting for a carpool
- Considering a change to a diet with low environmental impact
- Supporting local and seasonal food products
- Participating in green projects
- Buying less (in general)
- Monitoring your carbon footprint
To learn more about how these small steps can help in our environment, check this link out.
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The deciding factor
Of course, these steps can only help so much in reducing the carbon footprint.
The researchers from Tyndall Center pointed out some key differences between those countries which observed a decline in emissions and those whose carbon emissions spiked during the 2000-2015 period:
- Countries whose carbon emissions declined have policies that encourage energy efficiency
- They also have policies that encourage renewable energy
We see that the policies laid down is crucial in ensuring that our carbon emissions will continue to go down.
With this, we need to prod our leaders and corporations to choose the path of sustainability in the steps they are taking.
On the whole, securing a future which is climate-safe and sustainable is really a matter of collective and concrete action.
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