News

Graphic Truth: Which countries pollute the most?

In recent years, international forums for accelerating action on climate change have turned into finger pointing exercises about which countries should do the heavy-lifting when it comes to tackling global warming. The US and China are usually deemed the worst culprits because they produce the most carbon dioxide in absolute terms, accounting for a combined 42 percent of global pollution. But population and economy size are two major determinants of a country's carbon footprint. When CO2 emissions are considered on a per-capita basis, for instance, China doesn't even make the top ten. Here's a comparative look at the countries that pollute the most.

More For You

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol arrives at a court to attend a hearing to review his arrest warrant requested by special prosecutors in Seoul, South Korea, July 9, 2025.
REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/Pool/File Photo

5: The number of years South Korea’s ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced in prison today, on charges related to his failed attempt to impose martial law last year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a news conference after a meeting of the State Council on youth policy in Moscow, Russia, on December 22, 2022.
Sputnik/Sergey Guneev/Pool via REUTERS

The Russian president said little when the US seized Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, an ally of Moscow. But there might be a reason for his silence.