Global concerns about the physical environment are disproportionately influenced by superpower actions

Superpowers have Very Large Resource Footprints

↳ Maintaining a large economy, a military machine with global reach & a population - Requires energy, mineral, land and water resources

Eg. China accounts for over ½ of global coal consumption but has under 20% of the population Eg. In 2017 USA was the world's largest consumer of oil, wood, cocoa powder and beef

Growing Middle Classes

An ↑ in middle class in emerging countries - people get wealthier

↳ Growing middle classes consume more because they buy more products: Phones, clothes, heating, AC etc

High Resource Consumption Generates Environmental Issues

• Urban air quality is low in emerging power cities due to excessive coal burning
• Demand for fossil fuels = High CO2 emissions (global warming)
• Deforestation and land degradation as emerging powers seek to convert more land into farmland and continue to urbanise
• Going further afield to access resources such as the Arctic
• Landscape scarring from mining
• ↑ water pollution from industry, agriculture and energy extraction

Other Consequences of Increased Consumption:

• Key resources such as water, oil becoming less available and ↑ in costs

Willingness to Act

The superpowers are mainly to blame for the world's CO2 emissions ∴ it is imperative that superpowers and emerging powers take the leading positions in ↓ CO2 emissions

↳ The main fear is that by ↓ emissions and environmental degradation, it may slow their economic growth

Levels of Commitment

China ● World's largest emitter of CO2 ● Signed the Paris agreement (↓ global warming to <1.5°C ● China are investing billions into renewable power ● Trying to offset CO2 emissions w/ tree planting programme	USA ● 2nd largest emitter of CO2 ● Trump pulled out of Paris agreement saying it would be bad for US economy and jobs (Biden has subsequently rejoined) ● In response to Trump's decision many US states formed their own agreement to commit to meeting the Paris agreement
Russia ● Contributes approx 5% of global CO2 ● Signed Paris Agreement, pledging to ↓ emissions by 30% by 2030 ● By 2018, no sign of improvement ● Russia have very powerful oil and gas companies, making it harder to ↓ emissions	The EU ● Already ↓ CO2 emissions by 22% between 1990 and 2016 ● EU member countries on track to meeting target ● EU has passed laws to ↑ the share of energy production in renewables ● New cars and vans made in EU must also meet lower CO2 targets