The graph illustrates the average carbon dioxide emissions per person in four countries — the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy, and Portugal — from 1967 to 2007.
Overall, carbon emissions per capita decreased in the UK and Sweden during this period, while they increased steadily in Italy and Portugal.
In 1967, Portugal had the lowest emissions at approximately 1.5 tons per person. This figure rose steadily over the 40 years, reaching nearly 6 tons by 2007. Italy started at about 4 tons in 1967 and almost doubled its emissions to around 8 tons by the end of the period.
In contrast, the UK had the highest emissions in 1967, at roughly 11 tons per person. However, these emissions gradually declined over time, falling to about 9 tons in 1987 and continuing to decrease to around 8 tons by 2007. Similarly, Sweden began with emissions of approximately 9 tons per person in 1967, but experienced a sharper decline, reaching about 5 tons by 2007.