The provided graph illustrates the average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per person in four different countries over a period of 40 years, from 1967 to 2007.
Overall, it is evident that while the CO2 emissions in the United Kingdom and Sweden decreased significantly, Italy and Portugal experienced a notable increase. The United Kingdom consistently had the highest emissions, peaking in 1977, while Portugal started with the lowest figures but showed a steady rise.
In detail, the United Kingdom emitted the highest levels of CO2 per capita, starting at around 11 metric tonnes in 1967. Although it slightly increased to its peak of approximately 11.2 tonnes in 1977, it then declined steadily, reaching just above 9 tonnes by 2007. Similarly, Sweden began with emissions of around 8.7 tonnes per person, which initially rose to just under 10 tonnes in 1977 before undergoing a sharp decline, ending at around 5 tonnes in 2007.
Conversely, Italy’s CO2 emissions rose significantly from approximately 4.4 tonnes in 1967 to a peak of around 7.8 tonnes in 1997, where they stabilized until the end of the period. Portugal showed the most dramatic increase among the four countries, starting at a mere 1.3 tonnes per person in 1967 and rising steadily to about 5.3 tonnes in 2007.
In conclusion, while the UK and Sweden successfully reduced their CO2 emissions over the four decades, Italy and Portugal saw substantial increases, with Portugal having the steepest rise. This trend highlights the differing environmental policies and industrial developments in these countries during the period