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

A demonstrator throws a tear gas canister back towards the police during a march calling for the resignation of Bolivia's President Rodrigo Paz, as the country's economic and fuel crisis worsens due to a shortage of U.S. dollars and falling domestic energy production, in La Paz, Bolivia May 18, 2026.
REUTERS/Claudia Morales

Two weeks of protests have paralyzed Bolivia's capital, La Paz, costing businesses $50 million a day amid the country's worst economic crisis in 40 years. Unions are calling for the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz, just six months into his tenure.