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The world's most polluting countries

The big emitters
20th: Iran
19th: Italy
18th: Thailand
17th: Poland
16th: South Africa
15th: Mexico
14th: Argentina
13th: Australia
12th: France
11th: Ukraine
10th: Canada
9th: Japan
8th: United Kingdom
7th: India
6th: Germany
5th: Indonesia
4th: Brazil
3rd: Russia
2nd: China
1st: USA
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The big emitters

According to the UN, the world is on course for a catastrophic temperature rise of 2.7°C (4.9°F) if we don't change our habits fast. Despite targets to reduce our collective carbon footprint by 2030, many countries are still polluting the planet through fossil fuels and deforestation. But which are the worst offenders? As the COP26 climate conference begins, read on to discover the 20 most polluting countries, using 1850-2021 data from climate science website Carbon Brief.

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Alice Cattley

29 October 2021

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