This week, world leaders gathered in Egypt for COP27, the 27th iteration of an annual UN conference in which countries meet to discuss and forge a global response to the climate crisis.

It can be difficult to fully comprehend the staggering volume of carbon dioxide we emit as a planet, and its devastating consequences on climate change — but this visualization of global CO₂ emissions between 1900 and 2020 helps to put the impact in perspective.

Click image to enlarge

Global carbon dioxide emissions were very low before the Industrial Revolution (1760 - 1840), after which we began to burn fossil fuels at a rapidly growing rate.

By 1950, global emissions of CO₂ reached 6 billion tons per year — now, the yearly figure is a mind-boggling 34 billion tons.

Via Visual Capitalist.