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A new analysis by the Washington D.C.-based Center for Global Development (CGD) has revealed that, as of January 19, 2022, the average American has used more energy than the average resident of sub-Saharan Africa will in an entire year. The report highlights how the US contributes by far more to global carbon emissions through energy usage, compared to many low-income countries combined.

It took just the first 16 days of the year for the average US citizen to emit more carbon than the average Nigerian would in 2022. Estimate for emissions per capita in the US surpassed that for the whole year in the Democratic Republic of Congo in one day, Rwanda in three days, Angola in 22 days, and Pakistan in 24 days.
 
Researchers at the global think tank looked at the vast inequality in energy use and CO2 emissions between richer and poorer countries and mapped out the specific dates of the year when Americans are set to surpass other countries’ annual energy use, as well as the average for regions like Africa.

“The fact that people in the U.S. emit more CO2 in a couple of days than many low-income countries do in an entire year suggests that the opportunities to reduce CO2 emissions in these countries are minimal, given how little energy most use. The reality is that addressing climate change needs to be a global priority and rich countries have a lot of work to do,” said Euan Ritchie, a policy analyst at CGD.