2007: globally, 3% increase in carbon dioxide emissions
Per person: USA ranks list
Since population size and level of economic development differ considerably between countries, the emissions expressed per person show a largely different ranking: Top 5 CO2 emissions in metric tons of CO2 per person are: USA (19.4), Russia (11.8), EU-15 (8.6), China (5.1 ) and India (1.8).
Half of global cement production takes place in China
Of all industrial processes, the cement clinker production process is the largest source of CO2, apart from fossil fuel use. It contributes around 5% to the total of global CO2 emissions from fuel use and industrial activities. With a production increase of 10% in 2007, China now has a share in global cement production of about 50%.
Cement manufacturing is responsible for almost 20% of the total of China’s CO2 emissions, including those from fuel combustion for heating the kilns. After the earthquake which recently hit the Sichuan province, it may be expected that the rebuilding of houses and roads for over 5 million people will cause the cement demand to soar even further.
Weather conditions and high fuel prices affect global energy consumption
High oil prices of recent years have had their impact on oil consumption, causing that of the OECD countries to fall by 0.9% in 2007. In Europe, a relatively warm winter and high fuel prices have had a mitigating effect on CO2 emissions, which decreased by about 2% last year. In 2006, CO2 emissions from the EU-15 remained constant, which was confirmed in a recent report by the EEA, which compiled data from the 15 original Member States. In the USA, relatively cold winter and warm summer temperatures in 2007, combined with a decline in non-fossil-fuelled electricity generation, resulted in increases in CO2 emissions from space heating and cooling. Overall, in the USA in 2007, CO2 emissions increased by 1.8%, compared to 2006.