The richest 1 percent of the world’s population, consisting of 77 million people, produced as much carbon pollution in 2019 as the poorest 5 billion people, who make up two-thirds of humanity. This information was announced by Oxfam in a report that will be released on the eve of the United Nations climate summit in Dubai. According to Amitabh Behar, interim director of Oxfam International, it is clearer than ever that ending the era of extreme wealth is necessary to also end the age of fossil fuels and save millions of lives and our planet.
The report “Climate Equality: A Planet for the 99%” was created in collaboration with a Swedish research institute, the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), and assesses consumption emissions of different income groups in 2019, which is the most recent year for which data is available according to Oxfam Belgium. The study shows a deep gap between the carbon footprint of the super-rich and the majority of people around the world. Specifically, it was found that the richest 10 percent were responsible for half of CO₂ emissions. To put this into perspective, each year’s emissions from