The UN 2020 Emissions Gap Report presents a picture of worldwide carbon inequality—a stark contrast between the rich and poor in carbon emissions. In 2015 the richest 1% of the world population emit 15% of the total carbon emission and about 83 ton/capita (from the right figure below). While the poorest 50% emit 7% of the total emissions and about 1 ton/capita. In other words, the top 1% of the world richest emit more than twice as much carbon pollution as 3.65 billion of the poorest people. (The two figures below use metric ton, which is about 1.1 U.S. ton.)
The economic divide in GHG emissions exists among countries too. According to the Statista figure below (in metric tons, based on IMF data) the annual U.S. per capita emission is 16.5 U.S. tons compared to the global average of approximately 6 tons and India’s average of 2 tons. Most developing countries have their per capita emission below 2 tons.
It is surprising that the U.S. per capita emission is 3.4 times that of France, another advanced economy. The high U.S. emission is largely due to its citizens’ heavy reliance on cars, living in larger houses, and the amount of goods they consume.
Residential carbon emissions (i.e., from one’s home) comprise close to 20% of GHG emissions by the burning of coal, oil and natural gas. According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), rich Americans produce nearly 25% more emissions than poorer people at home. This figure does not include differences in ways they eat, travel, and consume. This study reveals that in 2015, the highest income group (more than 200k annual income) has a per capita emission of 32.3 tons. This is about 2.6 times the per capita emission of 12.3 tons of the lowest income group (less than 15k annual income). The figure below shows two examples—one from Beverly Hills, California and the other from Sudbury, Massachusetts. An average person in the high income area releases about four times as much emissions as someone living in a low income area.
Why is the issue of carbon inequality important? First, it points out what we have long suspected—lifestyle change is the key to reducing GHG emissions and fighting climate change. By choosing the ways we travel, the foods we eat, and the houses we live in, we can substantially cut down on GHG emissions. We cannot reach carbon neutrality—President Biden’s goal for 2050—by lifestyle change alone. But it can help slow down climate change and provide time for developing efficient new energies and carbon capture and store technologies.
Second, even though rich people and rich countries produce more GHG, poor people and poor countries are more exposed to the dangers of climate crisis like floods, droughts, and heat waves. This is because poor people and poor countries often lack the resources to protect themselves against these disasters. Thus carbon inequality is also a justice issue.