127The US emitted 2.6 Gt CO 2 in 1950, which was the largest individual national
source, followed by the former Soviet Union and the UK, at 0.67 and 0.52 Gt CO 2 ,
respectively (Fig. 3.4). At that time, there was a wide disparity in pCIN. The island
nation of Bahrain led the way at 29.5 t CO 2 ppy, followed by Luxembourg and
Kuwait at 25.1 and 20.0 t CO 2 ppy, respectively. We have chosen both the color bar
for Fig. 3.5 (does not cover the full range of pCIN) and the method of presentation
(world map) to highlight major emitters in terms of CO 2 FF-IN, rather than small
nations that have very large values of pCIN. Of the major emitters in 1950 (i.e., top
six emitters in terms of CO 2 FF-IN), the US had a pCIN of 16.3 t CO 2 ppy, followed by
Canada and the UK, at 11.6 and 10.3 t CO 2 ppy, respectively. In 1950, China emitted
0.081 Gt CO 2 , with a per-capita emission of 0.15 t CO 2 ppy.
The release of CO 2 by the combustion of fossil fuels was in the midst of a rapid rise
in 1970 (Fig. 3.1). The US was the largest emitter, at 4.38 Gt CO 2 , followed by the
former Soviet Union and Germany, at 2.32 and 1.04 Gt CO 2 , respectively (Fig. 3.4). In
1970, the largest per-capita emissions were from the nations of Qatar, UAE, and Brunei
Darussalam, at 69.2, 64.9, and 63.3 t CO 2 ppy, respectively. Of the top six emitters in
Fig. 3.5 Per-capita fossil fuel CO 2 emission maps, 1950–2010. Per-capita national emissions of
CO 2 FF, termed pCIN, in units of metric tons of CO 2 per person per year (t CO 2 ppy). The color bar
was chosen to highlight emissions from large nations that dominate the global burden of total emis-
sions, and therefore does not cover the full range of pCIN. In 2010, the largest values of pCIN were
from Qatar and the nation of Trinidad and Tobago, at 44.7 and 39.5 t CO 2 ppy, respectively. See
Methods for further information
3.2 Prior Emissions