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“Flawed” climate data threatens Paris accord

Potent, climate warming gases are being emitted into the atmosphere but are not being recorded in official inventories – a key provision of the Paris climate deal – according to a BBC investigation

MAIN GREENHOUSE GASES (Percentage of global emissions)

76% CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2)
China: Refused to accept in 2007 that it had become world’s largest CO2 emitter. One error in China’s statistics in 2013 amounted to 10 percent of global emissions, according to 2015 Nature report

16% METHANE (CH4)
India: Degree of uncertainty means emissions could be plus or minus 50 percent of data submitted

Russia: Emissions subject to uncertainties of between 30-40 percent

6% NITROUS OXIDE (N2O)
India: Degree of uncertainty for submitted data plus or minus 100 percent

2% FLUORINATED GASES (F-gases)
Italy: Levels of HFC-23 – 14,800 times more damaging than CO2 – estimated at 60-80 tonnes per year. Italian emission inventory says two to three tonnes per year

China: Emits 10,000-20,000 tonnes per year of carbon tetrachloride – refrigerant and solvent damaging to ozone layer and banned in Europe


TOP CO2 EMITTERS (2014)
From fossil fuel combustion and some industrial processes*

China 30%
U.S. 15%
EU-28: 9% 
India: 7%
Russia 5%
Japan 4%
Other 30%

*Represents large proportion of total global CO2 emissions. Estimates exclude emissions related to changes in land use


Sources: BBC, U.S. EPA 
Picture: Getty Images 
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