The Paris Climate Conference: The world's top 10 greenhouse gas emitters set lofty goals

Canada's goals fall short

The United Nations has called for global goals for cutting greenhouse gas emissions before the Paris climate conference set to take place in December. The top 10 greenhouse gas-emitting countries in the world responded and have all announced their plans.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The world's largest emitter is China, and they have set the loft goal of capping emissions within the next 15 years. The announcement was the first time China has ever committed to cap emissions and, despite criticisms, their country invested more money in renewable energy than any other.

The second top emitter is the United States, which has set a goal of lowering emissions 26 to 28 percent below their 2005 levels by 2025. The goal was presented in a joint announcement with China. 
Among the top three greenhouse gas-emitting countries, the U.S. is the only one with decreasing emissions. 
 India is the third of the top 10 emitters and was the last to announce its goals. They eventually announced goals to produce 40 percent of its power from low-carbon or renewable sources by 2030. They didn't commit to a concrete reduction in emissions due to concerns of damaging their economic growth, which is considered to be the fastest in the world.
Japan emitted over one billion metric tons in 2013 and has set a goal to reduce that number by 26 percent by 2030. Its increasing reliance on coal since the Fukushima nuclear disaster has made the goal difficult but only time will tell if the country is able to reach their goal.
Germany and South Korea set ambitious goals while Canada recently lowered its goal from 2009 to only reducing its 2005 levels by 30 percent by 2030 due to the expansion of Alberta tar sands production under prime minister Stephen Harper.
The Guardian reported Canada's environment minister, Leona Aglukkaq, who announced in Winnipeg, that Canada's "target is fair and ambitious, an ambitious commitment based on our national circumstances, which includes a growing population, a diversified growing economy and Canada's position as a world leader in clean electricity generation." 
According to David Waskow, who monitors the international climate negotiations for the World Resources Institute think tank, Canada's goal is weaker than the proposals presented so far by other developed countries. He claims "It's a weak proposal and it stands in substantial contrast to proposals from other developed countries. Canada really missed an opportunity to put forward something robust that would put it on the right track to address the climate crisis."
The last half of the list of the world's emitters included Russia, Indonesia and Brazil. Next to China and India, Russia is the third biggest emitter in the developing world and produced 1.8 billion metric tons of CO2 in 2013. 
Russia's noncommittal target falls between a 25 to 35 percent drop from 1990 levels by 2030.  
Both Indonesia and Brazil committed to reducing deforestation as their goal, with a 37 percent reduction from 2005 levels by 2025 for Brazil, and a 29 percent cut by 2030 for Indonesia. 
Seventy-two percent of the world's greenhouse gases is produced by these top ten emitters. It is now up to these countries to commit to negotiations at the Paris climate conference. 

---

The California Network is the Next Wave in delivery of information and entertainment on pop culture, social trends, lifestyle, entertainment, news, politics and economics. We are hyper-focused on one audience, YOU, the connected generation. JOIN US AS WE REDEFINE AND REVOLUTIONIZE THE EVER-CHANGING MEDIA LANDSCAPE.