The US, China and Russia have cumulatively contributed the greatest amounts of CO 2 since 1850.
Top 10 most polluting countries 2022
The three countries with the highest CO2 emissions are: China with 9.9 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions, largely due to the export of consumer goods and its heavy reliance on coal; The United States with 4.4 billion tonnes of CO2 emitted; India with 2.3 billion tonnes of CO2 emitted.
Chad, Iraq, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Kuwait, India, Egypt and Tajikistan were the top 10 most polluted countries while Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, and New Zealand met the World Health Organization (WHO) PM2. 5 guideline (annual average of 5 Aug/m3 or less).
New York City is the dirtiest city in the world. Annually, the New York City Metropolitan area produces some 33.2 million metric tonnes of waste. With close to 19 million residents, that's about 1.75 million metric tonnes of waste per capita, over 1 723.6kg.
If we're looking at the countries that are responsible for the highest amount of plastic production, China tops the list. China is responsible for 32% of global plastic materials production in 2021, making it the world number one plastic producer by far.
Fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – are by far the largest contributor to global climate change, accounting for over 75 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions. As greenhouse gas emissions blanket the Earth, they trap the sun's heat.
Greenhouse-gas emissions reached their highest-ever level in 2021, with global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels topping 36 billion metric tons. China is currently the highest emitter, followed by the US. Combined emissions from the European Union are the next largest, with India and Russia following.
Using this absolute metric, the countries with the greatest overall damage are Brazil (largely due to the destruction of the Amazon and its other forests), the USA (for its greenhouse-gas emissions and conversion of its prairies to farmland), and China (for its water pollution, deforestation, and carbon emissions).
The immense urban growth of Chinese cities substantially increases the need for consumer goods, vehicles and energy. This in turn increases the burning of fossil fuels, resulting in smog. Exposure to Smog poses a threat to the health of Chinese citizens.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel combustion worldwide 1750-2021, by country. The United States was the biggest emitter in history as of 2021, having released 422 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (GtCO₂) into the atmosphere since the birth of the industrial revolution.
Cleanest air in the world in 2022. The cleanest air in the world is in Zurich. The pollution status is determined on the basis of average levels of PM2. 5 measured over a period of 12 months.
According to the report, Australia, Bermuda, Bonaire, Estonia, Finland, French Polynesia, Grenada, Guam, Iceland, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Sint Eustatius and Saba, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have all achieved the target air quality guidelines of PM2.
Australia topped the list as the least polluted country in the world, with 7 cities in the top 25. Of the 25 least polluted cities in the world with the best air quality, Nordic countries (Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Estonia) dominated the rankings with some of the cleanest air in the world in 2022.
Australia air quality is generally among some of the cleanest in the world, although the country is vulnerable to short-term extreme pollution spikes which occur due to bushfires and dust storms.
Finland ranks first in the world for Environmental Health (99.3) and Air Quality (98.8). Its Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is 78.9.
Lowest clean oceans scores worldwide 2022, by country
The country with the lowest clean water score worldwide in 2022 was Benin, with a score of just 15.2 out of 100.
The capital of Estonia, Tallinn, is known as the cleanest city in the world. It has 430,000 people, and it's one of the most livable cities in Europe. The capital's high level of education means that its streets are spotless, and almost every household recycles their waste paper to reduce landfill levels.
The most polluted cities globally were Lahore, Pakistan; Hotan, China; Bhiwadi, India; Delhi, India; and Peshawar, Pakistan. Lahore's air quality worsened to 97.4 micrograms of PM 2.5 particles per cubic meter in 2022 from 86.5 in the year prior, making it the most polluted city in the world.