How much CO2 does an average person produce?

Climate change poses a very serious threat to humankind and one of the biggest factors contributing to this threat are Greenhouse gasses (GHGs). GHGs are emitted through a number of processes including deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels. As they accumulate in the atmosphere, GHGs trap heat causing a warming process known as the greenhouse effect. Of the different types of GHGs, carbon dioxide (CO2) is the type that humans have the most control over thus the greatest ability to limit.

Often when climate change and GHGs are discussed they are presented in terms that are too large for most individuals to grasp and identify with. Using data obtained from the United Nations and the Leaflet JavaScript library, this map seeks to provide an easier-to-understand and personal view of the amount of CO2 the average citizen in each country emits per year.

For reference, in 2013 the global average CO2 emissions were 4.99 metric tons per person.

Of the 257 countries and territories identified by the United Nations, 198 reported data on CO2 emissions and each of those countries have been ordered in terms of their average CO2 emissions per person (1-198) where '1' corresponds to the country with the highest average CO2 emissions per person.

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