Climate change is such a broad and complex issue – many of us struggle to connect the dots to what we do on a daily basis. But, there’s a simple number that gets us to a good start – our carbon dioxide emissions per person (or carbon per capita). Learn about carbon per capita, the difference between Production and Consumption carbon approaches, explore the case study of how Sweden has rapidly decarbonized, and consider the moral issues of the widening climate inequality and future carbon convergence.

1. CARBON PER CAPITA
5 FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW
poster designed by: Piktochart copyright 2014
That simple, single number that tells our story -
how we power our lives, what kind of society we’re a part of,
what we eat, how much we buy. It’s the line that connects
each of us to what’s happening to our climate.
Look at Singapore, a
tropical island state smaller
than New York City.
TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR STORY!
That's Singapore's share of global emissions from burning
fuel that was pumped into the atmosphere in 2013,
according to the International Energy Agency. Tiny, isn't it?
0.14%!
That's what it sounds like, compared to large emitters like
China which contributed 28%, or the United States which
contributed 16%, or even India at 6%. But is it really?
Just a
Drop in
the
Ocean
THE CARBON PER CAPITA PERSPECTIVE
Did you know that per person, Singapore’s emissions
from burning fuel are a quarter more than China’s,
and about 6X that of India?
A story where what we choose to do matters.
Suddenly, it sounds like a different story.
The International Energy Agency has records of carbon dioxide
emissions from burning fuel, per person, from 1990 to 2013.
Here are 5 facts you might not have known:
The average
global person in
the world uses
metric tons of
carbon dioxide
emissions from
burning fuel
every year.
#1
4.5
Australia, United States and
Canada have some of the
highest carbon per capita;
more than triple the
world average.
15.3
tonnes
16.7
tonnes
16.2
tonnes
#2
Carbon per capita in India
and Indonesia has more than
doubled since 1990...
...yet at still less than 2 metric
tons per person in 2013, this
is comparatively small!
#3
...yet at 6.6 metric tons per person in
2013, this is still less than half that of
Australia, the United States, or Canada.
Carbon per capita in
China has more than
tripled since 1990...
#4
Did you know that carbon per capita can be counted by how
much you produce, or how much you consume?
Many carbon accounting methods, including what
the International Energy Agency uses, are based on
production, which gives a skewed picture.
PRODUCTION
VS. CONSUMPTION
If you produce stuff, your
production carbon per
capita will be high, because
of the energy and materials
it takes to make stuff.
If this stuff is made for other people,
then your consumption carbon per
capita will be low, because the
energy and material embodied in
'stuff' is consumed overseas
SIDE - NOTE
#3
What happens when you look at the
consumption of carbon dioxide
emissions per capita per year?
Research shows that the average person in
China consumed 1.8 metric tons, compared to
the average person in the United States who
consumed ten times more at 18.6 tons.
Source: Ivanova et al., Environmental Impact Assessment of Household
Consumption, 2015, Journal of Industrial Ecology
Sweden has one of the fastest rates
of cutting emissions!
Carbon per capita (production) has dropped by 36%
since 1990, to 3.9 metric tons per person in 2013.
#5
HOW IS SWEDEN DOING IT?
Known for meatballs, flatpack furniture,
and of course that famous “Swedish
Chef”, this country of 10 million
people is leading the way in
showing that growth and quality
of life can come with zero carbon.
According to their national
government, Sweden has driven
fossil fuel use down by pricing
carbon in, through energy taxes
and a specific CO2 tax.
They’re not stopping here. Swedes have their eye on reaching
zero-carbon by 2045 (with a little help from offsetting through
international carbon projects).
The average Swede uses less than half
the emissions of the average Singaporean,
German or Dutch, and less than a quarter of the
average American or Australian.
How are they doing it?
Almost all of their electricity is low-carbon, from a primary
mix of hydropower and nuclear, with a generous sprinkling of
biomass and wind. Over half of their primary energy used
comes from renewable sources.
ENERGY & CO2 TAX
CLEAN POWER
We may not have Sweden's natural resources,
but can we learn from their systems approach
and willpower to cut emissions?
To get where they want to be, Swedes are aiming for fossil-free
streets by 2030, with the government providing tax exemptions
for electric and ethanol-powered vehicles.
FOSSIL-FREE STREETS
AMBITION FOR ZERO-CARBON
CONVERGENCE?
Global average carbon per capita has risen by around 15%
between 1990 and 2013. While some like Sweden, Denmark
and the UK have reduced this by over 25%, others like
Australia and Japan have grown this by more than 10%.
From less than 2 to over 16 metric tonnes per person,
the stark climate and carbon inequality means humanity is
more different than alike, divided than united, today.
Will we see a carbon convergence per person, for a more
egalitarian and sustainable future? How will you choose to
write your carbon per capita story?
REFERENCES
International Energy Agency, "CO2 Emissions from Fuel Combustion", 2015
Edition © OECD/IEA.
http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/co2-emissions-
from-fuel-combustion-highlights-2015.html
World Bank Blog, "Sweden: Decoupling GDP growth from CO2 emissions is
possible", 2015.
http://blogs.worldbank.org/climatechange/sweden-decoupling-gdp-growth-
co2-emissions-possible
Swedish Institute, "Energy Use in Sweden", 2016.
https://sweden.se/society/energy-use-in-sweden/
Ivanova et al., "Environmental Impact Assessment of Household
Consumption", 2015, Journal of Industrial Ecology.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289373031_Environmental_Impact_
Assessment_of_Household_Consumption
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