Final answer:
The UN's IPCC has found that while most CO2 emissions come from industrialized nations, it is the poorer countries near the equator that face the greatest risks from climate change impacts, such as economic instability and environmental degradation, due to their geographical location and reliance on agriculture.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been instrumental in forming the scientific consensus that climate change is a real and significant issue driven primarily by human activities, particularly the emission of greenhouse gases like CO₂.
While the largest contributions to CO₂ emissions historically come from industrialized nations, including the United States and Western Europe, it is the poorer countries near the equator that are at the highest risk of facing the most severe impacts of climate change.
These nations are likely to experience significant environmental degradation, which in turn can lead to a host of problems including but not limited to economic instability, exacerbated by the reliance of many on agriculture, which is highly susceptible to climate variations and changes.
Moreover, the global nature of atmospheric circulation means that the effects of greenhouse gas emissions are not confined to the borders of the emitting countries but are instead shared worldwide.
Despite this, the burden of climate change does not fall equally, with economically disadvantaged regions facing disproportionate challenges, including food and water scarcity, increased exposure to natural disasters, and potential displacement.
This deepens existing global inequalities and poses moral and ethical considerations for the international community when considering climate policy and economic development.