A Visual Analysis of the Uneven Contribution Towards Sustainable Climate Action: An Analysis of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13

Abstract

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita is a measure of a country's economic capacity. Hence, the correlation between GDP pc and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the present study, Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG 13), provides a clear indication of the extent to which individual countries comply with the goal. SDG 13 comprises four subgoals: CO₂ emissions from fossil-fuel combustion and cement production; greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions embodied in imports; and CO₂ emissions embodied in fossil-fuel exports. The fourth goal, addressing carbon prices, is not studied due to missing data. All three studied components should be considered to give a truthful picture of the single country’s contribution to climate change, as they all play a part in the overall picture in relation to sustainability and, as such, an indication where, mainly the more affluent countries, should focus to achieve better compliance with the SDG, in this respect not neglecting the ethical issues of not complying.