The World Resources Institute (WRI), a global research organization, has released the data of emitters of green house gases. It shows India despite being the fourth largest carbon emitter continues to be far behind the other three top big emitters (China, US, and EU) in terms of per capita emission. Developing countries like China, Mexico and Brazil too are way ahead of India in terms of their per capita contribution to the overall emissions.

The WRI analysis is based on data from its Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT) that has recently released its emission figures for the year 2012. It also came out with details as how the various economic sectors have contributed to the overall emission. The United States’ per capita emissions eight times that of India.

According to the figures, the top 10 emitters contribute over 72% of global greenhouse gas emissions (excluding land use change and forestry). On the other hand, the lowest 100 emitters contribute less than 3%. According to the report, six of the top 10 emitters are developing countries. China contributes approximately 25% of global emissions, making it the top emitter. India, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico and Iran are also contributing relatively large shares of global emissions as their economies grow.

What is a Green House Gas?

A greenhouse gas is any gaseous compound in the atmosphere that is capable of absorbing infrared radiation, thereby trapping and holding heat in the atmosphere. By increasing the heat in the atmosphere, greenhouse gases are responsible for the greenhouse effect, which ultimately leads to global warming.