Wealthy individuals have a higher carbon footprint. A new study published in Nature Climate Change quantifies the climate outcomes of these inequalities. It finds that the world's wealthiest 10% are responsible for two-thirds of observed global warming since 1990 and the resulting increases in climate extremes such as heat waves and droughts.

“If everyone had emitted like the bottom 50% of the global population, the world would have seen minimal additional warming since 1990,”

The study assesses the contribution of the highest emitting groups within societies and finds that the top 1% of the wealthiest individuals globally contributed 26 times the global average to increases in monthly 1-in-100-year heat extremes globally and 17 times more to Amazon droughts.

The research sheds new light on the links between income-based emissions inequality and climate injustice, illustrating how the consumption and investments of wealthy individuals have had disproportionate impacts on extreme weather events

Our study shows that extreme climate impacts are not just the result of abstract global emissions, instead we can directly link them to our lifestyle and investment choices, which in turn are linked to wealth,"

  • kozy138@lemm.ee
    41·
    3 days ago

    It’s my understanding that, at least in the USA, a lot of the emissions of the 10% is simply that they commute to work by car, which is one of the least efficient ways to transport a single person. If there was more public transportation infrastructure, it would probably be closer to the top 2-3% that cause the majority of pollution.

    • Mog_fanatic@lemmy.world
      81·
      3 days ago

      Yeah but, like, how would we even do that? Magic carpets? Flying horses? It’s just an unsolvable problem unless you had some sort of magical system of mythical vessels that took large groups of people where they needed to go reliably that was easy to use but that’s bordering on communism and is incredibly woke. Its just not possible!

      • Talaraine@fedia.io
        41·
        3 days ago

        Or the parasites could you know, bring back WFH as a starting point. Costs nothing and works great?

    • xor@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      2·
      3 days ago

      “The study also emphasizes the importance of emissions embedded in financial investments,”

      it’s mostly not from cars