By James Bryce
GIBRALTAR has dismissed ‘misleading’ claims that it has the highest per capita carbon emissions in the world.
The Rock topped a survey by the US Energy Information Administration, which measured petroleum consumption by each country relative to its population.
But Gibraltar’s health minister Dr John Cortes claimed the figures were ‘a misrepresentation of the reality’.
He said the survey failed to consider the Rock’s role as a major bunkering location for fuel used by the shipping industry.
“The majority of (bunker) fuel sales in Gibraltar are not consumed nationally but form part of the international shipping industry,” he said.
“When this figure is divided by the small population (approximately 28,000), we naturally appear to be the worst in the world.”
He added: “The world carbon emissions league table is misleading, reducing its value as a tool for climate change mitigation.”
