Author: Qiao Pan and Tsering Nanjia
Finland has passed arguably the world’s most ambitious climate target into law. The country aims to become the first developed country to achieve net-zero emissions by 2035 and net-negative emissions — absorbing more carbon dioxide than it emits — by 2040.
In fact, the assumption that Asian countries are ahead of the West in achieving carbon neutrality is wrong.
From a sample of 60 Western countries and 20 Asian countries, Western countries are more conscious of achieving carbon neutrality at a faster pace, with an average target year of 2048. The average target year for Asian countries is 2052, so they lag behind Western countries by 4 years.
Many Asian countries, such as Yemen, haven’t even set a target year, showing that there is still a general lack of awareness in Asia to achieve carbon neutrality.
It is worth noting that many less developed Asian countries have set unrealistic target years for carbon neutrality and have not taken any significant steps to achieve this goal. An example is Afghanistan. It again points out that this issue is not taken seriously in many parts of Asia.
Although Asian countries have passed laws in the past few years, carbon emissions are still rising (eg in India and Bangladesh)
Major European countries such as Germany are taking the initiative, while Asian countries such as China and India have set target years for 2060 and 2070, 20-30 years later than Western countries such as Germany and Finland.
Unfortunately, the data shows a huge disparity between Western and Asian countries in achieving carbon neutrality.
Countries such as Bhutan and Suriname have achieved carbon neutrality because of their high forest cover and low deforestation rates. They are considered carbon negative because their rich forests absorb more greenhouse gas emissions than the country emits.
Bhutan is also using a new measure of well-being-based sustainability that relies heavily on protecting the environment in which people live, which helps it become carbon-negative.
It is no surprise that Western countries are doing better than Asian countries when it comes to achieving carbon neutrality. Carbon neutrality refers to a balance between releasing and absorbing carbon in the environment. This article focuses on analyzing how Asian countries compare with Western countries in setting carbon neutrality goals and achieving them.
In this study, datasets from 60 Western countries were analyzed, including countries from Europe, North and South America, and 20 Asian countries.
The purpose is to compare and explain whether countries are serious about achieving carbon neutrality.
As can be seen from the sample, Western countries are more conscious of achieving carbon neutrality at a faster pace, with an average target year of 2048. The average target year for Asian countries is 2052, which is 4 years behind Western countries.
That’s not the 4-year difference we’re talking about here, and it’s important to note that many Asian countries like Yemen haven’t even set a target year yet, showing that Asia still doesn’t have a broad awareness of achieving carbon neutrality.
It is worth noting that many less developed Asian countries have set unrealistic target years for carbon neutrality and have not taken any significant steps to achieve this goal. Afghanistan, for example, set a target year of 2050, but has not taken any major steps to address its growing carbon footprint since the Taliban surpassed it.
Major European countries such as Germany are taking the initiative to plan to be carbon neutral by 2035, while Asian countries such as China and India have set target years of 2060 and 2070, 20-30 years later than Western countries such as Germany and Finland. In addition to this, carbon emissions have increased over the past few years, despite pledges by major carbon emitters in Asia such as India and Bangladesh to become carbon neutral.
Some countries in Asia are sure to take the issue seriously, as countries like Japan have seen their carbon emissions drop over the past few years.
On a broader scale, however, the data show wide differences between Western and Asian countries in achieving carbon neutrality. It noted that the issue was not taken seriously in many parts of Asia. The problem has grown over the years, and if the current situation continues, the distinction between Western and Asian countries will widen further, with developed countries achieving carbon neutrality but less developed countries falling behind.
About the author
Joe Pan is a contributing editor for Blockchain Asset Reviews
Tsering Namgyal is Chief Content Officer at Blockchain Asset Reviews
Source of information: Compiled from BlockchainAssetreview by 0x Information.The copyright belongs to the author, BAR Editor, and may not be reproduced without permission