Facts on Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is said to be the primary greenhouse gas (GHG) emitted through human activities.
Pursuant to the above, it is very important to note that CO2 occurs naturally in small amounts (0.04%) in the atmosphere[1], while according to the Director of NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies, Gavin Schmidt, human CO2 emissions make up about 33% of this 0.04%.[2]
In other words, human CO2 emissions make up 0.0132% of the atmosphere.
Furthermore, “Africa has contributed negligibly to the changing climate, with just about two to three percent”[3] of the 0.0132% of the 0.04% above – or the equivalent of about 0.0003% of the atmosphere.
In stark contrast, “the richest 1 per cent of the world’s population produced as much carbon pollution in 2019 as the five billion people who made up the poorest two-thirds of humanity, according to a report published by Oxfam…ahead of the UN Climate Summit, COP28.”[4]
All the preceding warrants a critical reassessment of the drastic measures and policies being proposed and adopted to address the “climate crisis”, as well as “land grabs” for carbon credits and the new wave of “odious debts” being incurred under the pretext of “climate financing”.
A good example of the latter is the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which “provides affordable longer-term financing to support low-income and vulnerable middle-income countries undertaking macro-critical reforms…including those related to climate change and pandemic preparedness.”[5]
References
[1] National Energy Technology Laboratory. Carbon Dioxide 101. National Energy Technology Laboratory, U.S Department of Energy – https://netl.doe.gov/carbon-management/carbon-storage/faqs/carbon-dioxide-101 (Accessed on 11th September 2025)
[2] Reuters Fact Check. (2024). Fact Check: Diagram misrepresents human CO2 contribution and its climate effect. Reuters Fact Check, 12th March 2024 – https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/diagram-misrepresents-human-co2-contribution-its-climate-effect-2024-03-12/ (Accessed on 11th September 2025)
[3] United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). (2024). Responding to Climate Change – https://www.unep.org/regions/africa/regional-initiatives/responding-climate-change (Accessed on 11th September 2025)
[4] Oxfam International. (2023). Richest 1 percent emit as much planet-heating pollution as two-thirds of humanity – Oxfam. Oxford, U.K: Oxfam International – https://www.oxfam.org.uk/mc/qer7km/
[5] The International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) – https://www.imf.org/en/About/Factsheets/Sheets/2023/Resilience-Sustainability-Facility-RSF (Accessed on 11th September 2025)
Interesting Facts on CO2 (link)
“Accumulation by Dispossession” via “Carbon Credits“
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