The world's worst emitters are the least affected by climate change

Researchers from The University of Queensland (UQ) have discovered what they described as a ‘global mismatch’ between greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the burden of climate change, with the countries emitting the least amount of gases suffering the most — and vice versa.

Writing in the journal Scientific Reports, the researchers said they found “an enormous global inequality where 20 of the 36 highest emitting countries are among the least vulnerable to negative impacts of future climate change”. For example, Australia is ranked as the world’s 14th highest GHG emitter, yet its current and predicted climate change vulnerability is listed as ‘low’.

“Conversely, 11 of the 17 countries with low or moderate GHG emissions are acutely vulnerable to negative impacts of climate change,” the researchers added. Most of these countries were found in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia — areas which are not only being exposed to serious environmental change such as oceanic inundation or desertification, but also have few resources to cope with these issues.

Co-author Associate Professor James Watson, from UQ and the Wildlife Conservation Society, said the situation resembles “a non-smoker getting cancer from second-hand smoke, while the heavy smokers continue to puff away”.

“Essentially, we are calling for the smokers to pay for the health care of the non-smokers they are directly harming,” he said.

The researchers refer to high-emitting countries as “free riders causing others to bear a climate change burden, which acts as a disincentive for them to mitigate their emissions”. This is particularly worrying as the study authors predict that the number of acutely vulnerable countries will worsen by 2030 as climate change-related pressures such as droughts, floods, biodiversity loss and disease mount.

“It is time that this persistent and worsening climate inequity is resolved, and for the largest emitting countries to act on their commitment of common but differentiated responsibilities,” they said.