The countries listed in this top 10 have been found to emit the highest carbon dioxide emissions by the Energy Information Agency (Department of Energy) of the United States. In compiling their data, The Department of Energy estimated carbon emissions from all forms of industry and fossil fuel consumption. The biggest polluting countries are typically the states with the biggest industries, biggest production capabilities and the biggest populations.

In order to safeguard our planet from environmental catastrophe these countries are either working towards or need to work towards implementing new regulations and control of their carbon dioxide emissions. This means reducing energy use and providing more forms of sustainable energy, improving transportation networks by offering improved public transport and looking for alternative fuels.
China wins the number one spot for the world’s most polluting country as it emits 6,018 million tonnes of greenhouse gases each year. This comes at little surprise as huge amounts of goods are manufactured in China, then exported all over the world. China also has the world's largest population of 1,324,655,000 so it consumes vast amounts of fossil fuels for transportation, cities, workplaces and food production.

Russia has a smaller population of 141,950,000 compared with the U.S and China but still produces a significant amount of Co2, 1,704 million tonnes per annum. Russia claims it is ready to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25% when other countries agree to do the same. This statement is somewhat cast into doubt with Russia's new plans to exploit the Arctic’s vast oil reserves and wants to construct floating power plants in the Arctic Ocean.
Japan ranks fifth producing 1,247 million tonnes of Co2 a year. Like Russia, Japan plans to cut its Co2 emissions by 25% when it sees other countries committing to the same. The main contributors to the pollution are the large areas of urbanization, industrialisation and the large amount of transportation. The Japanese Environment Agency has taken steps to reduce emissions by adding regulations for automobile gas and tightening controls on nitrogen dioxide emission.
The EU nation produces significantly less Co2 than Japan with 858 million tonnes per annum. Germany has ambitious goals to cut Co2 emission by 3% a year in order to reach United Nations targets. The German government also encourages citizens to cut their electricity use in an attempt to reach a 2020 goal of a 13% reduction in electricity consumption. There are further plans to improve power plants by making them trap and reuse some of the heat they produce.
The country produces 614 million tonnes of Carbon Dioxide a year. Canada is perhaps the only country on the list that may come as a surprise. We so often hear stories of Canada’s sustainable developments and high standard of living that we would not suspect it's high pollution levels. Experts place much of the blame on Canada's mining industry, the strong reliance on road transportation and chemical's contaminating the air and water.
The U.K creates 586 million tonnes of Co2 yearly. While air pollution is being combated and energy efficiency is improving, transportation pollution still remains a major problem and is still on the rise. Burning fossil fuels like coal and oil, for energy, still remains a large problem but the U.K. But recently Britain opened the world's largest wind farm and there are now plans for an even bigger sustainable power project.
South Korea comes in 9th with 514 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. Since the countries economic boom in the 1960's, there has been heavy industrialisation and a constant demand for the latest technologies. These technologies are often produced in the country, so there is a large manufacturing industry. Factory smoke and transportation emissions are contributing to sulphur-oxides being emitted into the atmosphere. These oxides are problematic as they can cause acid rain.
The final country on the list, Iran, creates 471 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Iran suffers problems with air and water pollution with the ecology in the Caspian sea significantly threatened. Household waste, factory chemicals and contaminators are often dumped into the Caspian. The air pollution in Iran's capital, Tehran, is said to be so dangerous that one Iranian official described it as a 'collective suicide'.