Carbon release refers to greenhouse gas emissions, primarily carbon dioxide, released into the atmosphere through human activities like burning fossil fuels and deforestation. When carbon accumulates in the atmosphere, it acts like a blanket trapping heat and warming the planet, causing sea level rise and extreme weather. The top carbon emitting countries in 2018 were Turkey, Italy, Poland, Hungary and Portugal. International agreements like the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement aim to reduce emissions 45% by 2030 to limit global warming. Individual actions such as using less energy, recycling, and planting trees can help decrease the effects of carbon release.

1. CARBON RELEASE

2. What is carbon release?
When it comes to carbon emission, many different definitions come to mind, but
carbon emission is actually talking about greenhouse gas emission. Carbon
emission simply means that carbon is released into the atmosphere.
Since greenhouse gas emissions are generally calculated as carbon dioxide
equivalents, they are often referred to as "carbon emissions or carbon emissions"
in any global warming or greenhouse gas impact discussion. In addition, carbon
molecules are found in the majority of greenhouse gases. For example, six of the
six gases considered as greenhouse gases in the Kyoto Protocol have carbon
molecules (carbon dioxide, methane, hydrofluoride carbons, perfluoro carbons).

3. What happens when we release too much carbon?
Climate change is primarily a problem of too much carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere. This carbon overload is caused
mainly when we burn fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas or cut
down and burn forests.
There are many heat-trapping gases (from methane to water
vapor), but CO2
puts us at the greatest risk of irreversible
changes if it continues to accumulate unabated in the
atmosphere.

4. The carbon dioxide that accumulates in the atmosphere
insulates the surface of the Earth. It’s like a warming blanket
that holds in heat. This energy increases the Earth’s surface
average temperature, heats the oceans and melts polar ice.
As consequences, sea level rises and weather changes.

5. If we stop emitting today, it’s not the end of the story for
global warming. There’s a delay in temperature increase as
the climate catches up with all the carbon that’s in the
atmosphere. After maybe 40 more years, the climate will
stabilize at a temperature higher than what was normal for
previous generations.

6. If we stop our emissions today, we won’t go back to the past.
This is not reason, however, to continue with unbridled
emissions. We are adaptable creatures, with credible
knowledge of our climate’s future and how we can frame that
future. We’re already stuck with some amount of guaranteed
climate change at this point. Rather than trying to recover the
past, we need to be thinking about best possible futures.

7. Carbon release rate in partners
TURKEY 5.09 MT.
ITALY 5.82 MT.
POLAND 8.76 MT.
HUNGARY 5.38 MT.
PORTUGAL 5.11 MT.
LATVIA 4.05 MT.
Carbon emission rate per capita in 2018

8. Which products increase carbon release?
•

9. Which human activities emit the most carbon?
The use of fossil fuels (oil, coal, natural gases…) for:
● The production of energy and heat
● Industries
● Transportation
● Agriculture
● Deforestation
● Fires in woods
● Cement production

10. In conclusion....
When hydrocarbon fuels (i.e. wood,
coal, natural gas, gasoline, and oil) are
burned, carbon dioxide is released.

11. What are the international pacts on carbon release?
Kyoto Protocol
The targets for the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol cover emissions of the six main greenhouse
gases, namely:
• Carbon dioxide (CO2);
• Methane (CH4);
• Nitrous oxide (N2O);
• Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs);
• Perfluorocarbons (PFCs); and
• Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)

12. Paris Agreement
The Paris Agreement requires all Parties to put forward their best efforts through nationally determined
contributions (NDCs) and to strengthen these efforts in the years ahead. This includes requirements that all
Parties report regularly on their emissions and on their implementation efforts.
Katowice Rulebook
We have to reduce CO2 emissions by around 45% by 2030 (compared to 2010 levels). In order to achieve
this, we need to start reducing the total greenhouse gas emissions of the whole world as quickly as possible
to bring them down to zero in the second half of the 21st century.

13. What is the relation between climate change and carbon release?

14. What can we do to decrease carbon release?
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Buying products with minimal packaging will help to reduce waste. By recycling
half of your household waste, you can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide
annually.
If you have the means to plant a tree, start digging. Trees absorb carbon dioxide
and give off oxygen. A single tree will absorb approximately one ton of carbon
dioxide during its lifetime.

15. Use Less Heat and Air Conditioning
Adding insulation to your walls and installing weather stripping
or caulking around doors and windows can lower your heating
costs more than 25 percent, by reducing the amount of energy
you need to heat and cool your home. Turn down the heat
while you’re sleeping at night or away during the day, and
keep temperatures moderate at all times. Install a
programmable thermostat because setting it just 2 degrees
lower in winter and higher in summer could save about 2,000
pounds of carbon dioxide each year.

16. Encourage Others to Conserve
Share information about recycling and energy
conservation with your friends, neighbours and
co-workers, and take opportunities to encourage
public officials to establish programs and policies
that are good for the environment.

17. This document has been prepared
collaboratively by the students of
Turkish, Italian, Polish, Portuguese,
Hungarian and Latvian schools.