This week’s chart measures CO2 emission intensity — the volume of carbon dioxide emitted per dollar of GDP — across major economies, providing a gauge of how efficiently each economy converts energy use into output.
As of 2021, the United States ranked among the least emission-intensive countries. Its emission intensity was three times lower than China’s, four times lower than India’s, and 4.6 times lower than that of the Former Soviet Union countries.
The trajectory of emission intensity in the developing and non-OECD world will depend heavily on economic growth in those regions, which in turn hinges on access to reliable and affordable energy.
From the EPRINC Chart of the Week archive.