The Global Carbon Project Carbon Budget 2008* released on 17 November 2009 reveals that the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) is now 385ppm which is 38 per cent above pre-industrial levels and, global emissions now stand at 8.7 PgC**.
This is a 2008 growth rate of 2 per cent (up 41 per cent on 1990 levels) and the highest CO2 level in at least the last two million years according to the report.
China, USA and India are responsible for 50 per cent of all global emissions, with 90 per cent of the increase in CO2 emissions from coal emissions between 2006-2008 coming from China and India.
Globally the fraction of total CO2 emissions which remain in the air has risen to 45 percent (a five per cent increase since 1960). It is suggested that the increase may be due to earth and ocean sinks declining in efficiency.
An estimated 20-35 percent of today’s emissions will remain in the atmosphere for several centuries into the future.
2008 Top Six Countries for CO2 Emissions From Fossil Fuels and Cement in MtC/yr (TcG/yr):1 CHINA 1922687
2 USA 1547460
3 INDIA 479039
4 RUSSIA 435126
5 JAPAN 357534
6 GERMANY 210480
Australia comes in at number 18 on this list with 96168 (down from 101086 in 2007 & 101458 in 2006). However our per capita emissions growth rate is still higher than many other comparable developed countries.
Carbon Budget 2008 full document including graphs here.
Carbon Budget 2008 Policy Brief here.
*Carbon Budget 2008 highlights.
**[1 Pg = 1 Petagram = 1 Billion metric tonnes = 1 Gigatonne = 1x1015g]
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