Increasing CO2 emissions in China determine the failure or success of the Paris Agreement

Under both the Kyoto Protocol of 2005 and the Paris Agreement of 2015, nearly 200 countries agreed to take measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. According to statistics provided by BP World Energy 2019, compared to 2005 global, annual CO₂ emissions increased by 20%, and in the Asia-Pacific region by 50% - at the same time emissions in the US and in the European Union fell.The largest issuers include, first and foremost, China and India, which recorded an increase in emissions by 54.6% and 105.8% respectively from 2005. The United States, Germany, and Japan recorded successive decreases in emissions of 12.1%, 11.7 % and 10.1%.Major changes in coal consumption are the main driving force of changes in most of the aforementioned countries. China and India have increased their carbon consumption significantly, while the US and Germany have seen a sharp drop in coal consumption as a result of legislation to reduce CO₂ emissions.Interestingly, according to BP World Energy 2019 statistics, carbon dioxide emissions per capita in China are lower than in the United States. In 2018, annual emissions in the US amounted to 16 metric tons per person, while in China it was 8 metric tons per person. However, per capita emissions in the US have fallen by 20% since 1980, while in China they have increased more than fivefold.As of today, China emits more than the next three world-largest emitters together. Thus, the lack of measures to reduce emissions in China may have a negative impact on the successful implementation of the Paris Agreement in reducing global carbon emissions.