China, US, India push world carbon emissions up

WASHINGTON — Scientists estimate that the world spewed far more carbon pollution into the air last year than ever before.

That was mostly because of increases from the three biggest polluters — China, the United States and India.

The reports released yesterday come as world leaders gather at the United Nations to talk about how to reduce heat-trapping gases.

According to the calculations, the world pumped more than 39 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the air last year by burning coal, oil and gas. That was 2.3 percent more than the previous year.

The International Global Carbon Project team published their reports in the scientific journals Nature Geoscience and Nature Climate Change.