Final answer:
The world's top polluters include affluent and oil-producing countries, while the United States shows reduction in emissions with stringent policies. A significant gap in environmental standards exists between high-income and low-income countries, raising concerns for global environmental policies.
Step-by-step explanation:
When comparing the world's top polluter with the most efficient user, we delve into emissions, energy use, and environmental standards across different countries. The biggest per capita polluters tend to be smaller, oil-producing countries like Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates, with large nations such as the United States, Canada, and Australia also contributing significantly. CO₂ emissions from the largest political regions, including China, the United States, the European Union, and India, make up more than half of the global total. Reducing emissions is critical to preventing further climate change.
In contrast, the United States has demonstrated progress through anti-pollution policies resulting in a notable decrease in emissions. From 2007 to 2012, emissions dropped by 730 million metric tons, a 12% reduction, showing that high-income countries can advance in efficiency and pollution control. However, there remains a gap in environmental standards between high-income and low-income countries, leading to concerns such as the 'race to the bottom' scenario, where countries may lower environmental standards to compete economically. Enhancing environmental standards in low-income countries is essential, and they may benefit from access to modern pollution-control technologies.