Translations:Information Booklet/70/en
The Industrial Revolution allowed for the mining of fossil fuels on a mass scale. Burning fossil fuels has been the dominant source of energy for over 100 years, and this has driven economic development. As a result of this, rich countries like the US, the UK, and the countries in the EU have produced the largest amount of greenhouse gases over time[1]. Now, as countries like China and India follow the same development path as rich countries, more and more people are dependent on burning fossil fuels every year[1]. With its rapidly growing economy, China is currently the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases[2]. Historically the US has been the largest emitter, meaning that it has emitted the most amount of greenhouse gases over time[3]. Within the five top contributors to emissions, the US also has the highest CO2 emissions per person[4].