Inequalities in Carbon Consumption

Globally, the average carbon footprint per person is 4.7 tonnes CO2e per year, but to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C as per the Paris Agreement, every person across the world needs to limit their carbon footprint to 2.1 tonnes CO2e. It is promoted to us, therefore, to lower our carbon consumption, and to play our part in helping the planet.

This individual action is important, but can feel futile when research by the NGO Oxfam reveals that the ‘Richest 1% burn through their entire annual carbon limit in just 10 days’. This jarringly reveals that, if the 1% continues at this pace, they will emit 76.285 tonnes by the end of the year –  which is the equivalent to just over 36 years of emissions at the annual carbon budget of 2.1.

The data demonstrates an element of climate injustice, a stark inequality in the causing of climate change, which is paralleled in who is affected most by climate change.

Comparatively, it would take someone from the poorest 50% over 100 years to emit 76.285 tonnes of CO2, with their CO2 per capita per day being 0.002 in contrast to the 1%’s 0.209.
As put by Nafkote Dabi: ‘the super-rich continue to squander humanity’s chances… This is theft… a tiny few robbing billions of people of their future’.

The data demonstrates an element of climate injustice, a stark inequality in the causing of climate change, which is paralleled in who is affected most by climate change. The 1% are less susceptible to damage and harm from slow onset events caused by climate change, such as sea level rise and salinization, because they possess the facilities to circumvent their impacts. For example, with rising sea levels, populations on the coast are increasingly vulnerable, as many of their homes and livelihoods are threatened. Alternatively, the 1% are not affected because they are able to easily move inland due to their wealth. 

Something needs to change, and it can start with us.

Currently, the environmental policy in place does not do enough to address climate injustice, and simultaneously fails to hold the 1% to account. Therefore, something needs to change, and it can start with us. Ultimately, it is the governments that need to enact policies and taxes on the 1% to hinder the harm to the environment – but this is unlikely to occur if we remain passive with our views. We need to advocate for ourselves and our futures. We need to apply pressure to our governments to make overdue changes for our planet. Furthermore, we need to continue to critique the actions of public figures and celebrities which are to the detriment of the environment.

The policies we need to demand from our governments are to reduce the emissions of the richest. Oxfam recommends this to be achieved in four succinct points:  government production of efficient climate plans to reduce emissions, increasingly tax the wealthiest 1% for their carbon consumption, ban carbon-intensive luxury consumptions such as private jets and push corporations to reduce carbon emissions. 

These recommendations would not only reduce the emissions of the 1% but would additionally raise revenue to be invested into national climate plans and would in turn be the best methods to challenge climate injustice.