Wealthiest 10% Drive Most Global Warming, Study Finds

A landmark study published in Nature Climate Change finds that the world's wealthiest 10% are responsible for two-thirds of global warming since 1990, with the top 1% alone accounting for one-fifth of the increase. The research reveals that the wealthiest 1% contribute 26 times the global average to deadly heat extremes and 17 times more to Amazon droughts. Consumption and investment choices by high-income individuals are directly linked to extreme climate events, disproportionately affecting vulnerable tropical regions. The study highlights significant climate injustice, as those least responsible for emissions endure the worst impacts. It also shows that if global emissions mirrored those of the poorest 50%, almost no additional warming would have occurred since 1990. The findings support targeted emissions reduction policies for the wealthy, including wealth taxes and climate finance, to promote both climate mitigation and adaptation.