IF EVERYONE in the world was Cypriot, carbon dioxide levels would exceed sustainable “carbon budget” levels by 313 per cent, according to the UNDP’s 2007 Human Development Report published yesterday.
With a focus on climate change, the latest report places Cyprus 28th overall in terms of human development out of 177 countries, just after Slovenia, and just before Portugal, and ahead of nine EU countries in total. Iceland is in first place with Norway in second.
It has however taken a tough stance on global energy issues saying that if trends continue, the carbon budget will be set for expiry during the 2030s, setting in motion processes that can lead to temperature increases of 5C or above by the end of this century “roughly similar to temperature changes since the last ice age 10,000 years ago”.
It said that high-income OECD countries lead the league of “CO2 transgressors”. With just 15 per cent of the world’s population, they account for almost half of all emissions.
“With 0.0 per cent of the world’s population, Cyprus accounts for 0.0 per cent of global emissions – an average of 9.2 tonnes of CO2 per person,” said the report.
“If all countries in the world were to emit CO2 at levels similar to Cyprus’, we would exceed our sustainable carbon budget by approximately 313 per cent.
According to the report, in 1990 Cypriots emitted only 6.8 tonnes of CO2 per person.
Cyprus has signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol, and as a non-Annex I Party to the Protocol, Cyprus is not bound by specific targets for greenhouse gas emissions.
The largest emissions per person in high human development countries come out of Qatar with 79.3 tonnes per person. Most other Gulf States were over 30 tonnes per person.
In the West Luxembourg had the worst emissions at 22 tonnes of CO2 per person, but like Cyprus doesn’t register in the share of the world’s total.
The US was the next biggest offender with 20 tonnes per person and accounting for 20.9 per cent of the world’s total.
“If the entire world emitted like High-income OECD countries -an average of 13.2 tonnes of CO2 per person, we would be emitting 6 times our sustainable carbon budget,” said the UNDP report.
It said the world had less than a decade to change course or climate change will become irreversible.
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