Wealthiest 10% responsible for two-thirds of global warming since 1990: study
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A new study published in Nature Climate Change has revealed a stark divide in climate responsibility, with the richest 10% of the global population contributing disproportionately to the planet's rising temperatures.
According to the research, this elite group is accountable for two-thirds of the global warming observed since 1990 - more than the combined emissions of the world’s poorest 50%.
Conducted by an international team of researchers from Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and Australia, the study links carbon emissions directly to income levels, lifestyle choices, and investment behavior. Lead author Sarah Schongart of ETH Zurich emphasised that climate extremes like heatwaves and droughts can be tied not just to vague global emissions but to individual behaviors and wealth accumulation.
“We found that wealthy emitters play a major role in driving climate extremes, which supports the case for policies specifically aimed at reducing emissions among high-income groups,” said Schongart.
The top 1% alone were found to contribute 26 times more than the global average to rare and severe monthly heat events and 17 times more to droughts in sensitive ecosystems like the Amazon.
The researchers warn that regions such as Southeast Asia, southern Africa, and the Amazon - areas with the lowest historical carbon footprints - are now suffering the worst climate impacts due to emissions from wealthier parts of the world.
Co-author Carl-Friedrich Schleussner of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis stressed, “Had the entire world emitted like the bottom half of the population, additional global warming since 1990 would have been negligible.”
Beyond personal consumption, the study also highlights the role of high-carbon investments made by the wealthy. The authors suggest that addressing the financial activities of the top earners could lead to meaningful climate progress.