Asia-Pacific is home to some of the world’s largest carbon emitters — and experts say much of global efforts to fight climate change depends on Asian countries cutting their reliance on coal.
The region accounted for 52% of global carbon dioxide emissions last year, according to the latest edition of BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy, a widely cited report.
China alone contributed 59% of the region’s emissions, while India made up 13.7%, the report showed.
Global leaders and environmentalists were gathered in Glasgow, Scotland this month for the United Nations climate change summit, known as COP26. They’re hoping to eventually phase out the use of fossil fuels — including coal — to cut carbon emissions and limit global warming.
On Thursday, 28 countries joined an international alliance dedicated to phasing out coal, but the world’s biggest burners of coal — such as China and India — did not sign up.
