Fossil-Fuel CO₂ Emissions from the Far East

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What countries constitute the Far East?

Trends

Fossil-fuel emissions of CO₂ from the Far East dropped from 1997-98 for the first time since 1947-48 ending fifty years of growth averaging approximately 7% per year. Fossil-fuel CO₂ emissions in 2008 exceeded one billion metric tons of carbon, a 37-fold increase over the 1950 emission level. The emissions growth since 1948 reflects not only the growth in India, South Korea and Indonesia, but also in Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore and other less populous nations. India, South Korea and Indonesia are responsible for 69.5% of the region's 2008 fossil-fuel CO₂ emissions, with the other above-mentioned six countries contributing another 24%. Per capita emissions in the region are as low as 0.008 metric ton of carbon per person per year in Afghanistan, and as high as 7.37 in Brunei. Sixteen of twenty-two countries in the Far East have per capita emission levels below the global average of 1.30 metric tons of carbon. Coal is the major source of fossil-fuel CO₂ in the region. Over 62% of the region's consumed coal is burned in India while India, South Korea, Indonesia, and Thailand combine for 72% of liquid-fuel emissions.