Richest 1% create 20% of global warming, study finds

A study published in Nature Climate Change finds that the wealthiest 1% of the global population are responsible for roughly 20% of global warming since 1990. The study examines emissions by income level rather than by country, revealing that wealthy individuals, regardless of nationality, are disproportionately responsible for rising global temperatures and extreme weather events.

Carbon inequality: The study, led by Sarah Schöngart and colleagues, found that the top 1% — those earning over about $160,000 annually — emit more than 20 times the carbon of the global average. The poorest half of the world’s population, by contrast, contributed just 16% of warming since 1990.

Most emissions from the top earners are tied to high-consumption lifestyles, including air travel, luxury goods and fossil fuel investments. The gap between high and low emitters has widened over the past three decades.

Global damage, local costs: The study links emissions from wealthy individuals in high-emitting countries to rising heat and drought risks in vulnerable regions such as the Amazon, Southeast Asia and central Africa. In the Amazon, for example, emissions from the top 1% of Chinese earners have driven an 80% increase in extreme heat events. U.S. top 10% emitters are linked to more than 20 times the average global contribution to once-in-a-century heat waves.

National disparities: The study also highlights sharp inequalities within countries. In the U.S., the top 10% emit about three times more than the average citizen and 17 times more than the global average. In China and India, the top 10% also emit significantly above their fair share despite lower national averages.

Call for equitable climate policy: Researchers warn that climate action will fall short unless it addresses emissions from the top income groups. They call for policies such as progressive carbon pricing, restrictions on luxury emissions and increased climate finance for affected regions. The study concludes that without curbing emissions from the wealthiest, efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels are likely to fail.