China, India Push Emissions Higher as COP28 Struggles with Fossil Fuels

Chinese emissions contributed significantly to recent increases in emissions, although its historical emissions are lower than the U.S. and Europe. Graph: CarbonBrief

Planet-heating carbon dioxide emissions grew by 1.1% this year, largely driven by an economic resurgence in China, India, and the aviation industry, according to projections by the Global Carbon Budget.

The news comes as disputes around how to deal with carbon emissions sharpen at this year’s COP28 climate gathering in Dubai. Disputes around a rapid fossil fuel phase-out versus a slower “phase-down” that would allow the fossil fuel industry to maintain recent record profits dominate the talks.

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