Named and shamed

For the first time, the CO₂ emissions of 50,000 power plants worldwide have been compiled into a massive new database called CARMA - Carbon Monitoring for Action.

The on-line database lays out exactly where the CO₂ emitters are and how much of the greenhouse gas they are casting into the atmosphere. It also shows which companies own the plants.

A research team, led by David Wheeler, a senior fellow at the US Center for Global Development (CGD), constructed the enormous database to help speed the shift to less carbon-intensive power generation - with the objective of minimising global warming.

The database and its website rank individual power plants, plotting their location by latitude and longitude. The data for total power-related emissions can be displayed by cities, states or provinces, and countries. For the US, emissions data are also available for Congressional districts, counties and metro areas, making it possible for the first time to compare total power-related emissions by locality.