Simply comparing total emissions per capita is not sufficient to fully measure performance. The differences we observe often have more to do with history and circumstance than proactive environmental performance. In contrast, measuring emissions within a single sector can capture the efficiency of processes within that sector. While we lacked the data resolution to measure the efficiency of individual industrial processes, we did measure emissions efficiency within the industrial sector. The emissions intensity of the industrial sector reflects the extent to which GHGs are being managed within a country’s industrial economy. This indicator is most commonly represented by the industrial sector carbon dioxide emissions per gross domestic product of the industrial sector:
Industrial GHG Emissions, 2005 (Metric Tonnes carbon dioxide) / Industrial GDP, Purchasing Power Parity, 2005 (Current International Dollar)
Countries that perform best on this indicator are those that have invested in low-carbon growth in their industrial sectors through energy conservation, investment in clean technologies, or other changes that result in industrial processes with lower emissions. By focusing on the industrial sector, we avoid merely observing shifts from industrial to service-based economies. While these shifts result in a legitimate reduction in emissions, they do not represent proactive emission reductions; it is a reflection of a country moving along a typical development pathway.
The target for emissions intensity of the industrial sector is 0.85 metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent per $1,000 (USD, 2005, PPP) of industrial GDP. This value is a reduction that is proportionate to the target for GHG emissions per person.
