Turning Points: Trends in Countries’ Reaching Peak Greenhouse Gas Emissions over Time

This research paper by the World Resources Institute analyzes global trends in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions peaking, tracking the number of countries that have peaked or committed to peaking between 1990 and 2030.

• The number of countries that have reached peak GHG emissions or have commitments implying a future peak is increasing, rising from 19 countries in 1990 to a projected 57 countries by 2030. This group includes major emitters such as China, the United States, Russia, Japan, Brazil, Germany, and Mexico.
• The share of global emissions covered by countries that have peaked or committed to peaking is projected to grow from 21% in 1990 to 60% by 2030, based on 2010 GHG emissions data. Specifically, the share was 18% in 2000, 36% in 2010, and 40% by 2020.
• Despite the increasing number of countries peaking, current trends and emissions levels at the point of peaking are inadequate to achieve the Paris Agreement's goals of limiting global warming to well below 2C or 1.5C.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Turning Points: Trends in Countries’ Reaching Peak Greenhouse Gas Emissions over Time. https://www.wri.org/research/turning-points-trends-countries-reaching-peak-greenhouse-gas-emissions-over-time

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Turning Points: Trends in Countries’ Reaching Peak Greenhouse Gas Emissions over Time. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/turning-points-trends-countries-reaching-peak-greenhouse-gas-emissions-over-time.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Turning Points: Trends in Countries’ Reaching Peak Greenhouse Gas Emissions over Time |url=https://www.wri.org/research/turning-points-trends-countries-reaching-peak-greenhouse-gas-emissions-over-time |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendturning, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Turning Points: Trends in Countries’ Reaching Peak Greenhouse Gas Emissions over Time}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/turning-points-trends-countries-reaching-peak-greenhouse-gas-emissions-over-time}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }