Carbon Footprint in Perspective: Developed Nations vs. Developing Nations

When a country considers carbon footprints, only the amount of carbon a country produces is taken into account. Looking at a carbon footprint by production often leaves developing nations in between a rock and a hard place. Developing countries are often outsourced for the production of cheap goods and as a result bear the brunt of the carbon footprint by burning CO2 and producing carbon that is needed to manufacture these goods. Wealthier and developed nations end up consuming the outsourced goods leaving behind the carbon emissions to poorer, developing nations that have trouble mitigating them. Goods and services that are outsourced to other countries can contribute up to a third of the carbon consumed by a developed nation. This is termed 'Emissions Outsourcing' and results in disparities in the carbon footprints of developed and developing nations. Below is an interesting article from March on businessgreen.com that helps to show the ramifications this has on global climate policy.

Carbon Outsourcing