China Leads the Planet in CO2 Emissions, but Persian Gulf States Lead on Per Capita Basis According to the World Bank’s current data, China was the leading emitter of carbon dioxide in 2011, outstripping the CO2 emitted by the U.S., India, and Russia combined. This should come as no surprise, as a country’s carbon emissions generally have a positive relationship to both its population and level of industrial activity. The opposite is seen on a per capita basis, where China and India have posted the lowest numbers. Small, energy intensive Persian Gulf emitters Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar have posted the highest levels per capita. The chart below shows total and per capita emissions of CO2 on a country basis, breaking total country emissions out by fuel of origin. It is the World Bank’s snapshot in 2011. (Click to enlarge) Source: World Bank Use of […]