Cumulative CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel combustion worldwide 1750-2021, by country

The United States was the biggest emitter in history as of 2021, having released 422 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (GtCO₂) into the atmosphere since the birth of the industrial revolution. This accounted for roughly a quarter of all historical CO₂ produced from fossil fuels and industry. China was the second-largest contributor to historical emissions, having released 250 GtCO₂. CO₂ is a greenhouse gas and the main driver of climate change and rising temperatures.

Regional emissions

Europe had accounted for almost 100 percent of global cumulative CO₂ emissions produced between 1750 and 1850, with the United Kingdom the biggest contributor. However, the region's share of emissions shrank in the following decades as the U.S. emerged as a major industrial power. By 1950, the U.S.'s share of historical global CO₂ emissions had increased to 40 percent, while Europe's had fallen to 50 percent.

China's contribution to historical emissions has soared

Between 1750 and 1950, China had contributed less than one percent of total CO₂ emissions ever produced. However, soaring emissions in China in recent decades has seen the country's share of historical emissions rise to more than 14 percent. This growth has been driven by China's rapid industrialization and its reliance on coal consumption for energy.