COP29 data reveals most polluting cities

With pollution on the rise, which cities release the most emissions?

Data revelaed at COP29 that Asia and the United States release the most heat-trapping gas that feeds climate change.

Shanghai's 256 million metric tons of greenhouse gases led all cities and exceeded those from Colombia and Norway. New York City's 160 million metric tons and Houston's 150 million metric tons is in the top 50 of countrywide emissions whilst Seoul in South Korea, ranks fifth among cities to be the most polluting.

China, India, Iran, Indonesia and Russia had the biggest increases in emissions from 2022 to 2023, while Venezuela, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States had the biggest decreases in pollution.

The data set – maintained by scientists and analysts from various groups – also looked at traditional pollutants such as carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, ammonia, sulphur dioxide and other chemicals associated with dirty air.

With these alarmings figures, nations at the UN climate talks in Baku, are trying to set new targets to cut such emissions and figure out how much rich nations will pay to help the world with that task.

A report by an independent panel of experts at the summit said countries need to invest more than $6 trillion per year by 2030 or risk having to pay more in the future.