CO 2 /capita/yearA N N U A L
(^) R
E
D
U
C
T
IO
N
(^) I
N
(^) T
O
N
N
E
S
(^) O
F
(^) C
O
(^2)
P
E
R
(^) C
A
P
IT
A
No
data 0t 1t 2.5t 5t 7.5t 10t 12.5t 15t 17.5t 20t 25t >50t
Give up
one child
One Australian emits 16.45 tonnes of CO 2
a year. So the best thing you can do for the
environment is to reduce population growth.
H
umans are the unrivalled emitters of CO 2 to the atmosphere.
A child who grows up in Australia can expect to emit around
1300 tonnes of CO 2 over the next 80 years; in Denmark or China
half as much; in Qatar a huge 3000 tonnes. So if people in the
western world have one baby less than planned, they not only
save the world from a large-scale consumer, they delete several
generations of CO 2 emissions when you count emissions from that
child’s children and grandchildren, etc. Scientists have named the
phenomenon your ‘carbon legacy’, and according to calculations,
the legacy in countries such as the US corresponds to 5.7 times
the greenhouse gas for which you, the parent, are responsible.
The average reduction resulting from one less child is 58.6
tonnes of CO 2 annually. In countries where energy sources are
already greener, the figure will, of course, be reduced.
FEWER CHILDREN
THE RICH WORLD DRIVES CLIMATE CHANGE
People in the rich nations of the world emit the vast majority of climate-
changing greenhouse gases, but nations in rapid development such as China
have gradually reached the same level of CO 2 emissions per capita per year.
Nordic countries: Lower than
Australia, but still three times over
the 2050 aim of 2.1t/year per head.
Australia: We’re a heavy polluter
at 16.45t/year per capita, slightly
above the US figure of 15.74t/year.
China: The annual CO 2
emission per capita has risen
by 250% over the past 30
years to 7.7t/year per head.
Source: Fossil CO2 emissions of all world countries, EU 2018.
60
50
40
30
20
4
3
2
1
scienceillustrated.com.au | 39
Annual^
reductio
n:
58.^6
ton
nes^
of^ CO 2