Many countries produce fossil fuels despite committing to combat climate change. But Canada, Norway and the UK stand out because they are doing that while positioning themselves as climate champions.
“The UK is leading the world in the fight against climate change,” a spokesperson from the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, told CNN in an email. “We were the first major economy to legislate for net zero emissions by 2050, and have cut emissions by 43% since 1990 — the best in the G7.”
The UK government can make these claims, because under international agreements, each country is only responsible for greenhouse gas emissions produced within its territory. That means the UK, Canada, Norway and others don’t need to worry about the emissions caused by the burning of their oil, gas and coal in other places around the world.
Burning fossil fuels emits CO2, which traps solar radiation in the atmosphere, just like glass traps heat in a greenhouse. This causes…
