Fossil-Fuel CO₂ Emissions from the Far East

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What countries constitute the Far East?

Trends

Fossil-fuel emissions of CO₂ from the Far East dropped from 1997-98 for the first time since 1947-48 ending fifty years of growth averaging approximately 7% per year. Fossil-fuel CO₂ emissions in 2006 rose to 938 million metric tons of carbon, a 33-fold increase over the 1950 emission level. The emissions growth since 1948 reflects not only the growth in India, South Korea and Indonesia, but also in Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore and other less populous nations. India, South Korea and Indonesia are responsible for 67% of the region's 2006 fossil-fuel CO₂ emissions, with the other above-mentioned six countries contributing another 29%. Per capita emissions in the region are as low as 0.01 metric ton of carbon per person per year in Afghanistan, and as high as 4.2 in Brunei. Sixteen of twenty-two countries in the Far East have per capita emission levels below the global average of 1.25 metric tons of carbon. Coal is the major source of fossil-fuel CO₂ in the region. Over 64% of the region's consumed coal is burned in India while India, Indonesia and South Korea combine for 58% of liquid-fuel emissions.