Who is responsible for emissions from transport?

Over two-thirds of emissions from transport are produced in developed countries, with North America contributing over half of this total. Per capita emissions are much higher in developed countries, with US citizens emitting 6,082 kgCO2 per head compared with 120 kgCO2 per head in India (Sperling & Salon, 2002). This is reflected in the lower levels of car ownership in developing countries with 7 cars per 1,000 people in India, 110 in Chile compared with 441 in the UK and 769 in the US (see below).

Figure 1: Number of vehicles per capita in selected countries (1996).
Source:Sperling, D and Salon, D, 2002 Transportation in Developing Countries: An Overview of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategies. Pew Centre on Global Climate Change, Arlington, USA.