Top 10% in developing nations emit less than rich nations' regular earners

In rich countries, even regular earners produce more carbon dioxide than the wealthiest 10 per cent of people in developing countries like India, Brazil, and others in Asia and South America, according to a new study.

Released ahead of the UN climate talks in Dubai, the study by the New Delhi-based climate think tank Council for Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW) shows that the richest 10 per cent in the developed countries and China produce 22 per cent more CO2 than all the developing countries studied combined.

The study highlights that carbon emissions of an individual in the bottom 10 per cent income bracket of Saudi Arabia, the US, or Australia are 6 to 15 times more than an individual in the poorest decile of India, Brazil, or the ASEAN region.

For this study, the researchers analysed per capita CO2 emissions for different income brackets across 14 countries, the EU, and the ASEAN region using data from the World Inequality Database and the World Bank.

These countries, taken together, account for 81 per cent of global emissions, 86 per cent of the world's GDP, and 66 per cent of the global population.

Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, CEEW, said the study clearly shows that not everyone is equally responsible for increasing global carbon emissions.

"The top 10 percent in many developing countries emit less than the average per capita emissions in developed countries. This, once again, drives home the scientific basis for 'common but differentiated responsibilities', especially as COP28 holds up a mirror to past pledges and broken promises," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been championing the Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE movement), urging countries to adopt planet-friendly living practices and move away from deeply consumerist behaviours.

Recognising the criticality of this decade (2021-2030) for climate action, there's a call for rebalancing consumption patterns between the Global North and the Global South.

Differences in historic emissions and contributions to global warming across nations are evident. For instance, while the US accounts for only 4 per cent of the current global population, it contributed 17 per cent of global emissions between 1850 and 2021. In contrast, India, representing 18 per cent of the world's population, has contributed only 5 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions to date.

According to Oxfam International, a group of independent charitable organisations, the world's wealthiest 10 per cent were responsible for around half of global emissions in 2015.

The CEEW study also found that encouraging the adoption of low-carbon lifestyles among the richest can lead to significant emission reductions.

If the richest 10 per cent of developed countries and China reduce their carbon footprint even by half, they can save more than 3.4 billion tonnes of CO2 annually. Moreover, a carbon tax on the richest 10 percent of developed countries and China could shore up USD 500 billion and discourage highly carbon-intensive consumption patterns, the researchers said.

These funds could be used for climate change mitigation, research and development, de-risking clean technology, and building resilience.

This is crucial since another recent CEEW study showed that developed countries are not on track to meet their 2030 emission reduction targets and will overshoot their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) or national plans to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 38 per cent.

Pallavi Das, Programme Lead, CEEW, said, 'Inequity in the climate debate has a long-standing history, and the rich in developed countries are primarily responsible for carbon emissions. Our study shows that while the emission intensity of income has reduced for the highest earners (top 10 per cent) in most countries between 2008 and 2018, overall emissions are increasing because of the rise in incomes. With the carbon budget depleting to keep the world below the 2 degrees Celsius threshold, the rich must be held accountable and nudged to pursue sustainable lifestyles.'

The CEEW study also highlighted that the carbon emissions across both developed and developing countries reveal significant inequities between the wealthiest and poorest income brackets. The difference in the carbon footprint between the top and bottom income 10 per cent ranges between 8 and 22 times for the countries studied. This makes it clear that high earners must make concerted efforts to adopt low-carbon lifestyles and practice responsible consumption.

In this study, 'developed countries (or regions) and China' include Australia, Canada, China, European Union, Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the UK, and the US, and 'developing countries (or regions)' include Argentina, Brazil, India, Mexico, South Africa, and ASEAN.