Which Countries Are the Top 5 Carbon Emitters?
Provided by: Council on Foreign Relations|Published on: April 27, 2021|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Videos
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Geography
Authors: Thamine Nayeem, Council on Foreign Relations
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This short video uses compelling images of climate change impacts to present the top five nations in 2018 contributing to global carbon emissions.
- The video lists a few reasons for each country's large contribution to annual carbon emissions.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This video could be a great introduction to discussing the human causes of climate change.
- The images are striking.
Prerequisites
- Students should be familiar with the concept of fossil fuel-driven economic growth.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Consider having students guess which countries are the top five emitters before watching the video. Have them explain their thoughts and reasoning behind their predictions.
- Have students generate a list of questions they are curious about as they watch the video (watching a few times through may be helpful). Then have students work in pairs to research and answer the questions.
- Other resources related to this topic include Which Countries are Historically Responsible for Climate Change? and Energy Use Per Person.
- Some students may benefit from having the text read out loud to them.
This resource explores the top five carbon emitters in the world. It explains how population and economic growth are causing CO2 levels to further increase. This is insightful and recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
