According to new Oxfam report: the richest percentage are living in more climate-damaging ways than the poorest 66 percent

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The richest one percent of the world’s population produced as many climate-damaging greenhouse gases in 2019 as the five billion people who make up the poorer two-thirds, according to an Oxfam report released Monday.

The report ‘Climate Equality: A Planet for the 99 Percent’ is based on the scientific knowledge that people’s greenhouse gas emissions increase as private income and wealth increase. The reasons include more frequent air travel, larger homes and generally more climate-damaging consumption – in extreme cases in the form of luxury villas, yachts and private jets.

Oxfam speaker Manuel Schmitt said of the results: “Through their extreme consumption, the rich and super-rich are fueling the climate crisis, which threatens the livelihoods of billions of people with heat waves, droughts and floods, especially in low-income countries. countries of the Global South.”

Oxfam demands new taxes for the super-rich

The consumption behavior of the richest percent (77 million people) caused 16 percent of global emissions in 2019 – more than twice as much as the consumption behavior of the poorer half of the world’s population, and more than the emissions of all road traffic in the world. world.

Oxfam explained that new taxes are now needed on climate-damaging companies and the assets and incomes of the super-rich. This would significantly increase the financial space for the transition to sustainable energy. Ultimately, however, there is also a need to “overcome the current economic system and its fixation on profit making, the exploitation of natural resources and a consumer-oriented lifestyle.” (SDA/obf)

Source: Blick