If you live in Europe, your estimated CO2 emissions are 6.9 tonnes* per year. Offsetting more than this figure will allow you to be climate positive!
The average carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by an individual’s daily activities varies widely across the globe. This is due to differences determined by:
-
Climate and varying seasons;
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Development stage of a country;
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National resources and energy mix;
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Available transportation systems;
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Government regulations;
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Varying standards of living.
To illustrate how these factors translate into different carbon emission brackets, let us review select statistics from Our World in Data’s Per capita CO2 emissions report:
Annual CO2 emissions (per capita), tonnes per person
|
Country/area |
Year 1750 |
Year 2022 |
|---|---|---|
|
Africa |
0.0 t |
1.0 t |
|
Asia |
0.0 t |
4.6 t |
|
Europe |
0.1 t |
6.9 t |
|
North America |
0.0 t |
10.5 t |
|
South America |
- |
2.5 t |
|
Oceania |
0.0 t |
9.9 t |
|
World |
0.0 t |
4.7 t |
These figures show wide discrepancies from one continent to the next, resulting from the interaction of different consumption and efficiency factors. If we were to continue reviewing the report, which details per capita emissions for every country, we would find estimates for each of our individual emissions.
It is important to take stock of these numbers, as calculating our own, or our companies’ CO2 emissions is a costly endeavor in terms of time and money. We at Tree-Nation support and encourage the use of emission estimates for three reasons:
Accessibility
Average emissions are easy to calculate, do not require expert knowledge to be understood, and are available to all. They set a clear baseline for individuals and corporations (who can find total emissions by multiplying their number of employees times individual average emissions) to reduce and offset.
Fairness
Average emissions exhibit marked differences between developed and developing countries, with the former generally emitting higher levels of CO2. It is reasonable to expect that countries with the highest emissions should drive the most reduction/offset initiatives, followed by those with moderate and low emissions.
Collective Responsibility
Average emissions encompass outputs from all countries, collectively fueling global temperature rises and requiring universal efforts to be combatted. In addressing this challenge, the contributions of all nations and individuals are indispensable.
Whether you are in Europe, the Americas, or Oceania, you may use the Tree-Nation platform to reforest and capture CO2 knowing that we will always offset more than you emit. Through our Net Zero Citizen and Pledge services, you can exceed carbon neutrality and leave a climate positive footprint behind.
*2022 figures, Our World in Data