Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Myanmar

What percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions does Myanmar produce?

Myanmar produced 0.21% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2021 (the latest date with complete emissions data). This amounted to 99.3m metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, or MtCO₂e. These emissions represented a decrease from 2020 by -4.7%.

In the period from 1990 to 2021 their emissions have increased by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2% and Myanmar has contributed 0.22% of global greenhouse emissions.

Country	Myanmar
Population	54.8m
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in USD	$65.1bn
Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2021	99.3m
Change in Emissions since 2020	-4.7%
Percentage of Total Emissions (2021)	0.21%
Rank - Emitters in 2021	51
Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions since 1990	2.62bn
Compound Annual Growth - Emissions since 1990	2%
Percentage of Total Emissions (1990-2021)	0.22%
GDP Per Capita (USD)	$1.19k
Emissions Per Capita	1.8

In 2021, Myanmar was the world’s 51st largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions. The largest emitters in the same period were China, the United States, India, Russia and Brazil.

When looking at emissions over time Myanmar is the 52nd largest emitter since 1990.

Emissions per capita in Myanmar - average household carbon footprint

The population of Myanmar is 54.8m. On a per capita basis, they produce 1.8 tonnes of CO2e per person, placing them 157th out of 191 on emissions produced per capita. The biggest per capita emitters are Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Turkmenistan.

What is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Myanmar?

Gases

30.5% of emissions in Myanmar came from Carbon Dioxide (CO2), 55.3% came from Methane (CH4), and 14.2% came from Nitrous Oxide (N2O).

Sectors

The sector that produced the most emissions in 2021 was the land-use change and forestry industry, producing 113m of GHG emissions, constituting 114% of total.

The second and third largest emitting sectors were agriculture and energy, producing 59.8% and 32.2% of total GHG in Myanmar.

Energy

The industry that produced the most energy related emissions was the electricity/heat industry, producing 9.74m of GHG emissions, constituting 9.8% of total emissions.

The second and third largest emitting sectors were manufacturing/construction and transportation, emitting 7.16m and 5.2m tonnes of GHG each.

Land Use Change and Forestry

Land use change and forestry (LUCF), such as deforestation and conversion of natural ecosystems to agricultural or urban areas, can have a significant impact on carbon emissions.

• Trees and other vegetation absorb and store carbon through the process of photosynthesis, and when they are cut down or burned, that stored carbon is released into the atmosphere.
• Deforestation and other forms of land use change can also reduce the ability of ecosystems to absorb and store carbon in the future. Additionally, the conversion of land for agriculture or urban development can lead to the release of carbon stored in the soil.
• On the other hand, sustainable forestry practices, such as reforestation and afforestation, can help to remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it in trees and other vegetation.

In the case of Myanmar, LUCF had a negative impact on Myanmar’s emissions, increasing their carbon footprint by 113m tonnes.

After accounting for land use change and forestry, the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions in Myanmar in 2021 was 212m metric tonnes.

How vulnerable is Myanmar to the impact of climate change?

The Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN) Index

The ND-GAIN Index measures countries’ vulnerability to global challenges, including climate change, and their readiness to improve resilience.

Myanmar scores 37.7 on the ND-Gain Index and is classified in the ‘high vulnerability and low readiness’ category of climate change preparedness.

The index aims to assist businesses, governments, and communities in prioritising investments for a more efficient response to global shifts.

It is measured by combining two main components:

1. Vulnerability: This evaluates a country’s vulnerability to environmental risks and its ability to adapt. It considers health, food and water availability, infrastructure, and ecosystem services. A higher score indicates greater vulnerability to environmental challenges.
2. Readiness: This measures how well a country can leverage investments to mitigate climate change. It considers economic stability, governance, technology, and infrastructure. A higher score means a country is better prepared to implement resilience strategies.

This ranking helps identify areas where resources and adaptation strategies can be most effectively directed to mitigate risks and enhance resilience.

By combining these dimensions, the index provides a comprehensive approach to measuring countries’ ability to cope with the impacts of climate change.

High vulnerability and low readiness in Myanmar

In terms of readiness to adapt to climate change, Myanmar ranks in the bottom 10% group. Globally, the average readiness score is 0.424, with Myanmar posting a score of 0.257.

They show the greatest strength in economic aspects, while their performance in governance aspects requires improvement.

• Economic readiness refers to the business environment and its capacity to adapt to climate change, emphasizing the importance of a supportive regulatory framework for adaptation initiatives.
• Governance readiness refers to the political, legal, and regulatory aspects influencing a country’s adaptation to climate change, including stability, corruption control, and law enforcement.

Regarding vulnerability to climate change, Myanmar falls into the bottom 25% category. Compared to the global average vulnerability score of 0.431, Myanmar has a score of 0.504.

Their resilience is most notable in infrastructure areas, yet they face significant challenges in health.

• Infrastructure vulnerability refers to the weaknesses in the coastal protection, transportation, and energy systems, which are critical for building resilience against climate change. Coastal protection safeguards land and ports from rising sea levels and storms. Reliable transportation infrastructure is essential for corporate value chains and can be disrupted by extreme weather. Energy infrastructure resilience ensures a continuous supply of energy during natural disasters, maintaining economic stability.
• Health vulnerability refers to the impact of climate change on diseases and medical resources. Innovations can enhance resilience to vulnerabilities affecting human health through food, water insecurity, and extreme weather events.

The formula to calculate the ND-GAIN Index is

GAIN Index=(Readiness Indicators−Vulnerability Indicators+1)×50GAIN Index=(Readiness Indicators−Vulnerability Indicators+1)×50

In this formula:

• The Readiness Indicators are measured on a scale of 0 to 1, where a higher score means that the readiness is better.
• The Vulnerability Indicators are also measured on a scale of 0 to 1, but a lower score indicates better vulnerability in this case. 
• The difference between the Readiness and Vulnerability scores is calculated and then incremented by 1. 
• Finally, the result is multiplied by 50 to convert the GAIN Index score to a range of 0-100, where a higher score means the situation is better.

Is there a correlation between greenhouse gas emissions and economic growth in Myanmar?

In 2021, the gross domestic product (GDP) in Myanmar declined by -16.2% from the previous year, with the economy moving from $79bn to $66.3bn. During the same period, carbon emissions decreased by -4.7%. Over the ten-year period from 2011 to 2021, GDP grew 10.5%, while emissions increased by 12.4%.

To put this into context, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of GDP in Myanmar over the past ten years was 1%, and the CAGR for greenhouse gas emissions was 1.2%.