- Explanation of the approach to historic emissions and division of the carbon budget
- The global carbon budget
- The country carbon budget chart
- The individual elements of the carbon budget chart
a) budget boxes; global totals & country shares
b) per capita country emissions over time
c) gross country emissions over time
d) share calculation methodology
e) easy visualization of CREDIT:DEBIT
Notes on gross country emissions
Actual emissions line This line shows the country’s actual gross emissions over the period 1750-2013 and then its approximate INDC (the blue dotted line), assuming carbon emissions fall in line with GHG emission pledges.
Country ‘Share’ line This line shows the country’s share of the global budget and then its future share of the Green, the Amber and the Red budgets (2014-2050) on the basis of globally equal per capita emissions.
Credit/Debit The total past difference between share line and actual emissions line is the country’s running debit or credit. Where actual emissions are less than share for the relevant year, the line passes beneath the share line and the area between the two lines is the ‘credit’, shaded in green. Where actual emissions are higher than share, the line passes above the share line and the area between the two lines is the ‘debit’, shaded in dark red.
As can be seen, for most of the period between 1750 and 2013, Norway’s actual emissions exceeded its share on an equal per capita basis (leading to the area between the lines being shaded in red). For a short period in the 1940s however (during WWII), Norway’s emissions were running below the average, so that there is a small area shaded in green. Norway’s overall debit for the period 1750 to 2013 can be seen to be 0.25 GtC.
(I)NDC/NDC reference As the actual emissions line passes 2013 on the x-axis, it becomes dotted providing a rough indication of the country’s (I)NDC. This allows for the (I)NDC to be seen in relation to the country’s share of the past and the remaining budget. Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) were submitted in anticipation of the Paris Agreement, which formally requires Parties to submit Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). For the moment The Blueprint references INDCs. It will be updated to show NDCs once these are generally available.