The US just grabbed an unenviable climate distinction: It saw the biggest jump in greenhouse gas emissions of any G20 nation last year, according to a new UN report. While overall global emissions were flat, the report says US pollution rose sharply, leaving the country tied with Russia for the highest per-person emissions among G20 members, per NPR. China still emits more in total, but that nation has more than four times the population of the United States.
The US increase has been tied to higher electricity demand and energy policies under President Trump that favor fossil fuels, including moves to keep coal plants running longer, weaken vehicle fuel-efficiency rules, and phase out some clean-energy tax credits. The New York Times notes that a cold North American winter also contributed. The outlet adds that the United States’ “abandonment” of the 2015 Paris Agreement has upped the risk that the Earth will heat up more quickly than anticipated. The administration has rejected the report’s findings and continues to pull back from UN climate efforts, even as scientists warn that the world remains on course for dangerous levels of warming, per NPR.