Global greenhouse gas emissions are the product not just of our energy use and manufacturing, but also our population size and economic activity. Japanese economist Yoichi Kaya summarizes this viewpoint in an equation known as the Kaya Identity.
The Kaya Identity states that the total emission level of carbon dioxide equals the product of four factors: human population, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, energy intensity (per unit of GDP), and carbon intensity (emissions per unit of energy consumed).
It’s useful for simple calculations of scenarios.
Anyone else heard of this here?
