According to carbonbrief.org, the UK, though it was the first country to industrialise, is responsible for 3% of the cumulative amount of CO2 emitted since 1850, compared to the USA (20%), China (11%), Russia (7%), Brazil (5%) and Germany (4%).Unfortunately the historical record is used by politicians in the developing world to justify their continuing high level of emissions, arguing that they are only doing what the West did in the past to achieve prosperity, to which they are just as much entitled. This line of argument is foolish and dangerous. The past is past. What counts is the present and the future. Every country should aim to achieve net zero within a reasonable time frame, but the countries most responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, namely China, America, India and Russia, need to take more drastic action.
Steven Rose ● 80d