Context: In a new report titled "Confronting Carbon Inequality" by Oxfam International and the Stockholm Environmental Institute (SEI) has found that the richest  1% emit twice as much carbon as poorest 50%.

• A rich person contributes more to the climate crisis than a poor person: Between 1990 and 2015, the richest 1 per cent of humanity accounted for 15 per cent of cumulative emissions, while the poorest 50 per cent accounted for only 7 per cent.

According to the report titled Confronting Carbon Inequality

• While the richest 10 per cent accounted for 46 per cent of emissions growth, the poorest 50 per cent accounted for only 6 per cent.
• The richest 1 per cent depleted the global carbon budget for 1.5 degrees Celsius by 9 per cent; the richest 10 per cent did so by 31 per cent. 
• During the same period, the poorest 50 per cent used only 4 per cent of the carbon budget.

Report Analysis

• Amidst the global health and economic crises, the climate crisis continues to grow.
• Extreme weather disasters have not stalled during the COVID-19 pandemic – from cyclone Amphan in India and Bangladesh to the wildfires raging in the USA.
• This serves as a potent reminder that the world stands perilously close to exceeding the 1.5C goal of the Paris Agreement.
• The report underlined the need to focus on clipping emissions of the richest 10 per cent.
• Reduction of the per capita footprint to the 1.5°C-consistent level by 2030 would cut annual carbon emissions by over a third.

The era of extreme Inequality

• The richest 10% of humanity accounted for 52% of the cumulative emissions, depleting the global carbon budget for 1.5C by nearly a third (31%).
• The richest 1% alone accounted for over 15% of the cumulative emissions, using up 9% of the carbon budget: more than twice the poorest 50% .
• The 40% of humanity in the global middle class accounted for 41% of the cumulative emissions, 25% of the carbon budget.
• While the poorest 50% accounted for just 7% of cumulative emissions, and a mere 4% of the budget.

Unequal Carbon Emissions Growth 1990-2015

• The richest 5% (around 315 million people) accounted for over a third (37%) of the total growth in emissions.
• The richest 10% accounted for 46% of the total emissions growth – only marginally less than the 49% contributed by the middle 40%.

Tackling Carbon Inequality

• The per capita consumption footprints of the richest 1% are currently around 35 times higher than the target for 2030.
• Per capita consumption footprints more than 100 times higher than the poorest 50%.
• Reducing the per capita footprint of the richest 10% to the 1.5C-consistent level by 2030 would cut annual carbon emissions by over a third .

Recommendation

• Wealth taxes, luxury carbon taxes – such as carbon sales taxes on SUVs, private jets or super yachts, or levies on business class or frequent flights.
• Ending the tax-free status of aircraft fuel, unconditional aviation industry bailouts and tax breaks for company cars.
• Public investment, including to create decent job guarantees, alongside working-time reductions where appropriate
• Improving energy efficiency of housing, especially to reduce energy bills for low income or marginalized groups.
• Expanding low-carbon sectors like health and social care which overwhelmingly benefit women, low-income and marginalized groups.
• Banning advertising in public spaces and changing corporate governance to curtail companies short-termism and create accountability for long-term social and environmental impacts.
• Setting science- and equity-based national targets to reduce carbon emissions from consumption as well as production.
• The largest share of emissions by the rich was from flights and cars, including private jets, luxury SUVs and sports cars.

Global Scenario

• About half of the emissions of the richest 10 per cent are associated with North America and the European Union (EU).
• India’s per capita emissions were a fraction of not just the EU (6.78 tCO2 / person).
• Also China (7.95 tCO2 / person), making it the lowest per capita emitter amongst the world’s large economies.
• Additionally, the per capita CO2 emissions of the richest 10 per cent Indians were about 4.4 tonnes in 2018.
• In comparison, the per capita emissions of the richest 10 per cent Americans were 52.4 tonnes — almost 12 times that of the richest Indians.
• The report briefly acknowledged the intersectionality of income inequality and the climate crisis with factors such as race, class, gender, caste and age.

Road Ahead

• The report by Oxfam and SEI alludes to this in its recommendations, and calls for job guarantees, wealth taxes as well as public investment in public transport, energy efficiency and healthcare. It is time that the mainstream climate movement acknowledges this as well.