The findings highlight the huge gaps between the so-called “polluting elite”, whose high-carbon lifestyles are fueling the climate crisis, and the majority of people, even in developed countries, whose carbon footprints are very high. smaller ones. It would take 26 years for a low-income person to produce as much carbon dioxide as the wealthiest in a year, according to Autonomy’s analysis of income and greenhouse gas data from 1998 to 2018, which found that people earning £170,000 or more in the UK in 2018 were responsible for far more greenhouse gas emissions than the 30% of people earning £21,500 or less in the same year. The period covered by the dataset ends in 2018, before the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns, which disrupted carbon-intensive activities such as flying. Autonomy also found that if the UK had only started taxing carbon emissions from the top 1% of income groups two decades ago, the effort could have raised around £126 billion by now, which could have lead to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in an equitable manner. for example through home insulation for the poorest households. Peter Newell, professor of international relations at the University of Sussex, who was not involved in the Autonomy report but has worked extensively on the “polluting elite”, told the Guardian the huge gap must be addressed. “This new report on the benefits of taxing extreme carbon emissions makes for shocking reading,” he said. “On the eve of a crucial climate summit [Cop27] in Egypt, and looking at an unprecedented cost of living crisis, it is clear that we are not all in this together. The revenue from a carbon tax on the richest 1% of the population would have raised enough money to upgrade nearly 8 million homes, keeping us warm this winter and reducing fuel bills, while providing significant support for renewable energy and making us less dependent on Putin’s gas.” The UK is not alone in having such a gap between high and low income when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. A growing body of research points to the existence of a “polluting elite” whose lifestyles bear little relation to those of the majority of people. This is true in developed and developing countries, where the poorest tend to be responsible for a small amount of greenhouse gas emissions, while those with the most wealth are comparable in impact to the elite of rich countries. For example, in any given year, less than half of people in the UK take a flight. But 1% of people are responsible for a fifth of overseas flights from the UK. Flying, driving big, expensive cars, owning multiple homes and traveling between them, eating a diet rich in meat and imports, buying more clothes and imported luxuries are all reasons for the wealthiest to create much higher carbon footprints. Poorer people tend to live closer to home in small houses and use public transport, while their spending on luxuries and items such as ‘fast fashion’ is much lower. Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, said: “The massive release of carbon emissions by the wealthiest in society in recent decades is astonishing. Our analysis suggests that the most effective way for the government to tackle climate change would be to properly tax the rich, through a well-targeted carbon tax system.” Taxes on the most polluting activities could target only the wealthy and need not add to the cost of living crisis for the vast majority of people. They could also help plug the yawning gap in the UK’s public finances. The most important stories on the planet. Get all the week’s environmental news – the good, the bad and the must-haves Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. However, the government preferred to reduce taxes on activities such as flying and driving, despite their environmental impact. Stronger said that actions most people take, such as turning off the lights to save energy, “wouldn’t make any difference if the government doesn’t address the fact that it’s the rich who are disproportionately responsible for the climate crisis.” Adrian Ramsey, co-leader of the Green party, said: “Last year, the Green party called for the UK to show genuine global leadership by introducing a carbon tax at Cop26. As this report demonstrates, such a tax could be a key driver in driving the transition to a cleaner and greener economy. “But it is also fair that the top 1% of UK earners, who are disproportionately responsible for such a large amount of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, pay wealth tax. A modest tax on the richest 1% of households could raise around £70bn and be used to significantly help fund a national program to insulate homes, creating warmer, more comfortable homes and permanently reducing bills. Such a tax would particularly benefit the poorest 10%, who are the least responsible for the UK’s carbon emissions.”
