What percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions does Kiribati produce?
Kiribati produces 0.01% of global emissions, and has been ranked the world’s 188th largest emitter of greenhouse gases since 1990. Since this date, their annual emissions have increased by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.9%.
Summary – GHG Emissions in Kiribati
| Country | Kiribati |
|---|---|
| Population | 121k | Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in USD | $181m |
| Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2019 | 118k |
| Change in Emissions since 2018 | 1% |
| Percentage of Total Emissions (2019) | 0.01% |
| Rank – Emitters in 2019 | 188 |
| Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions since 1990 | 2.16m |
| Compound Annual Growth – Emissions since 1990 | 3.9% |
| Percentage of Total Emissions (1990-2019) | 0.01% | GDP Per Capita (USD) | $1.49k |
| Emissions Per Capita | 1.0 |
In the last recorded year (2019), Kiribati was the world’s 188th largest producer of yearly carbon dioxide emissions and contributed 0.01% of all global emissions. The top three emitters in the same period were China, the United States, and India. These three nations produced 25.2%, 12%, and 7% of global emissions respectively.
In 2019, Kiribati emitted 118k metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, or MtCO₂e. This represented an increase in emissions from 2018 by 1%.
Emissions per capita in Kiribati – average household carbon footprint
The population of Kiribati is 121k. On a per capita basis, they produce 1.0 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) per person. This places them 182nd out of 191 on emissions produced per capita. The top three emitters per capita are Solomon Islands, Qatar, and Kuwait.
What is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Kiribati?
In 2019, Kiribati produced 118k metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. This was an increase of 0.95% from 2018. 73.7% of these emissions came from CO2, 19.4% came from CH4, and 4.4% came from N2O.
The sector that produced the most emissions in 2019 was the energy industry. Energy produced 86.9k of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This amounted to 73.7% of total GHG in Kiribati. The second and third largest emitting sectors were waste and agriculture- producing 15.9% and 7.9% of total GHG respectively.
Energy
The industry that produced the most energy related emissions was the transportation sector, emitting 38.2k tonnes of greenhouse gas. The second and third largest emitting sectors were electricity/heat and building – producing 25.9k and 11.9k tonnes of GHG each.
Land Use Change and Forestry
Land use change and forestry (LUCF), such as deforestation and conversion of natural ecosystems to agricultural or urban areas, can have a significant impact on carbon emissions.
- Trees and other vegetation absorb and store carbon through the process of photosynthesis, and when they are cut down or burned, that stored carbon is released into the atmosphere.
- Deforestation and other forms of land use change can also reduce the ability of ecosystems to absorb and store carbon in the future. Additionally, the conversion of land for agriculture or urban development can lead to the release of carbon stored in the soil.
- On the other hand, sustainable forestry practices, such as reforestation and afforestation, can help to remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it in trees and other vegetation.
In the case of Kiribati, their LUCF had no impact on their emissions.
After accounting for land use change and forestry, the total amount of greenhouse emissions in Kiribati in 2019 was 118k metric tonnes.
Is there a correlation between greenhouse gas emissions and economic growth?
In 2019, gross domestic product (GDP) in Kiribati declined by -9.3% from the previous year. Measured in US dollars, the economy went from $196m to $178m. In the same period carbon emissions increased by 0.95%. Over a ten year period from 2009 to 2019, GDP grew by 34.4%, while emissions have increased by 43.9%.
To put this into context, the compound annual growth rate of GDP in Kiribati over the previous ten years was 3% and the CAGR for greenhouse gas emissions was 3.7%.