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10 countries doing the most for the planet

Words by Smiley Team

In the push to mitigate against the climate crisis, world leaders have pledged to their citizens that they will achieve ambitious goals. But these largely depend on new technology – and promises do not always translate into tangible action or positive impacts.

Developed countries such as Denmark and Sweden lead the way in terms of how quickly they're meeting their promises, according to consumer data platform Statistica. As the pioneer of wind turbines, Denmark is fast making use of renewable technology. Meanwhile, Sweden has already surpassed 50% of the way towards its 2030 target for adopting renewables. 

However, with climate activists in Denmark and Sweden widely criticising their governments, even they seem to not hit the mark. To judge which countries are doing the most to tackle climate change it might be more apt to ask which countries are doing the least to cause it. 

When you look at rankings for carbon footprint per person, Sweden and Denmark perform better than most developed nations. However, it’s some of the poorest countries in the world, including Eritrea and Sierra Leone, which make the top ten.

Here are the top 10 countries with the smallest carbon footprint per capita, according to most recent data from the Global Carbon Atlas.

1. Sierra Leone

2. Eritrea

3. Kenya

4. Solomon Islands

5. Nepal

6. Mauritania

7. Cape Verde

8. Micronesia

9. Albania

10. Bolivia

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Inspired to act?

READ: Learn more about the difference between net zero, carbon neutral, and what carbon impact is.

SUPPORT: Make a donation to the Woodland Trust to help ensure woods and trees continue to capture and store carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.

VOLUNTEER: Join the Carbon Community and get involved with tree planting, footpath creation and maintenance, fundraising, writing, translating and supporting them on social media.

 

This article aligns with the following UN SDGs

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