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Climate change: The richest are polluting the planet more

The richest pollute the planet much more than the poorest and targeted measures should be imposed on them, he says World Equality Lab (WIL) research published on Wednesday, just days before the start of COP26, the world conference on climate held in Glasgow.

At the time the levels carbon dioxide released each year are competing with those before the pandemic, with each of the richest 1% emitting an average of 110 tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2019, according to the study, led by economist Luca Sanchez, co-director of WIL.

In total, 1% of the rich were responsible in 2019 for 17% of global carbon dioxide emissions due to their consumer habits and investments. 10% of the richest were responsible for half the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.

On the other hand, half of the poorest people in the world caused the emission of 1.6 tons of carbon dioxide per person on average in 2019, a quantity that corresponds to a total of 12% of world emissions.

“There is a big inequality in how much everyone contributes to climate problem“, Chancellor stressed.

In addition to the richest people, the most developed countries in the world have a much higher carbon footprint, reports the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency, if we take into account the products that are made abroad and which then import.

Europe represented in 2019 about 25% of global carbon dioxide emissions.

Between solutions WIL proposes that public policies take greater account of individuals’ contributions to carbon emissions in order to combat the most polluting behaviors.

“This can be done through tools that will target investment in activities that pollute the planet the most or are related to fossil fuels,” the report said.

Chancellor spoke of the adoption of a “gradual ecological tax rate on wealth.”

“Such a tool could be more politically viable than carbon taxes, which particularly affect the lowest incomes and fail to reduce the emissions of the richest,” he explained.

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