Carbon footprint of richest in developing countries same as low earners in developed countries, shows report

An analysis of carbon emissions by residents of developed and developing countries revealed significant rich-poor disparity both within and among countries, according to a new study released by Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a Delhi-based policy research institute.

The average per capita carbon emissions of many developed countries were found to be much higher than those of the richest 10 per cent in developing countries such as Argentina, Brazil, India and the ASEAN region.

The richest 10 per cent population in developing countries (except Mexico and South Africa) emit almost the same amount of carbon dioxide as “individuals in the fourth- and third- (or even second-, in some cases) lowest deciles in developed nations, including Australia, Canada, the United States and Saudi Arabia”, the authors of the report noted. 

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

The report also noted that the per capita carbon footprint of the top 1 per cent and the top 10 per cent income groups in developed countries was noticeably higher — even four to eight times greater in some cases, compared to their counterparts in developing nations.

Carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide emissions generated by all the activities of a person.

Using data from the World Inequality Database and the World Bank, the study analysed per capita CO2 emissions for different income brackets across 14 countries, the European Union and the ASEAN region spanning the developed and developing world.

In this study, developed countries (or regions) included Australia, Canada, China, EU, Japan, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States. Developing countries (or regions) included Argentina, Brazil, India, Mexico, South Africa and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

These major economies taken together represent approximately 81 per cent of global emissions.

The report The Emissions Divide: Inequity across Countries and Income Classes found that the richest 10 per cent in the developed countries and China emitted 22 per cent more CO2 than the total emissions of all the developing countries studied.

Encouraging the adoption of low-carbon lifestyles among the richest can lead to significant emission reductions, the authors said.

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, they added.

Moreover, a carbon tax on the richest 10 per cent of developed countries and China could shore up $500 billion and discourage highly carbon-intensive consumption patterns, the study found. 

According to the study, these funds could be used for climate change mitigation, research and development, de-risking clean technology and building resilience. 

The study said there is an urgent need for developed countries and China to embrace sustainable lifestyles and vacate carbon space for developing countries.

The findings make the need for accountability and long-term climate finance both imperative and immediate, said Dr Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, CEEW. “We can no longer argue why emerging economies need carbon space, or cheap and convenient finance to power their sustainable futures. Moreover, there is no technological substitute for more conscious consumption.” 

He urged developed countries to make sustainable consumption aspirational.

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