Industrialized nations’ greenhouse gas emissions dipped 0.7 percent in 2011, helped by a US shift from high-polluting coal in power plants and by Europe’s economic slowdown, data compiled by Reuters showed on Friday.
For many years it has been a mantra that rich nations, historically the top polluters, should make the biggest cuts in emissions while emerging economies could burn more energy to help lift them from poverty.
But figures based on submissions by 42 industrialized nations this month used to judge compliance with U.N treaties underscore how continued worldwide growth in emissions is increasingly led by China and other emerging economies.
Combined emissions in the 42 countries slipped to 17.1 billion tons in 2011 from 17.2 billion in 2010. That was down 6.4 percent from levels in 1990, the UN benchmark year for judging progress in combating global warming.
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