Oxfam releases new climate equality report

Today, Oxfam and the Institute on European Environmental Policy release a new report on climate inequality. It shows that the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting the increase in global average temperature to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030 will not be met unless people with the most resources take responsibility.

Climate change hits people living in poverty hardest. This is despite the fact that the poorest half of the world's population - nearly 4 billion people - account for only 10% of global carbon emissions. Oxfam's latest climate inequality report shows that, instead of levelling out, climate inequality will be greatly amplified by 2030. It builds on last year's report by Oxfam and SEI, which estimated that the richest 1% of the world's population emitted twice as much carbon dioxide as the poorest half of the world's population from 1990-2015.

The new report states that carbon emissions from the richest 1% of the world's population are expected to be 30 times higher by 2030 than the level required to meet the climate goal of limiting the increase in global average temperature to 1.5 degrees.

The report shows that a small share of the world's population is responsible for a disproportionate share of our total global carbon emissions. We need to address the inequality crisis and the climate crisis in a comprehensive manner. The report points out that policies to achieve the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius must also address the unequal distribution of resources and emissions. 

The report notes that:

• By 2030, the poorest half of the world's population will continue to emit carbon dioxide well below the level needed to reach the 1.5 degree target.
• At the same time, the richest 1% and 10% of the world's population will exceed the level required to be in line with the 1.5 degree target by over 30 times and 9 times respectively.
• A person in the richest 1% would need to reduce their emissions by about 97% compared to today's emissions to reach the level needed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.

In 2015, the world's countries agreed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees compared to pre-industrial levels. Current national climate commitments to reduce emissions are far from reaching the target. Reaching the target will require each individual to emit a maximum of 2.3 tons of carbon dioxide per year in 2030. This is about half of the average emissions per person today.

The report shows a huge injustice in how the highest emitters continue to increase their emissions while being the furthest away from the consequences of the climate threat. Instead, it is people living in poverty who are most affected by the consequences of climate change. This is a double injustice that needs to be addressed on several levels, both through measures that limit the emissions of the richest population and by providing specific support for climate adaptation to countries with widespread poverty

The report has been commissioned by Oxfam. Authored by Tim Gore, IEEP based on data collected and analyzed by the Institute for European Environmental Policy and the Stockholm Environment Institute.