A new study uncovers how both the wealthy and the less affluent misunderstand their own carbon footprints, underscoring the need for more equitable climate policies.
In a revealing new study, an international team of researchers uncovered that the personal carbon footprints of the wealthiest individuals are vastly underestimated, not only by the wealthy but also by middle and lower-income groups. Conversely, the carbon footprints of the poorest are greatly overestimated.
The study, spearheaded by the Copenhagen Business School, the University of Basel and the University of Cambridge, surveyed 4,000 individuals across Denmark, India, Nigeria and the United States. The participants were asked to estimate the average personal carbon footprints of the bottom 50%, the top 10% and the top 1% income groups within their respective countries.
"These countries are very different, but we found the rich are pretty similar no matter where you go, and their concerns are different to the rest of society," co-author Ramit Debnath, an assistant professor and Cambridge Zero Fellow at the University of Cambridge, said in a news release. "There's a huge contrast between billionaires travelling by private jet while the rest of us drink with soggy paper straws: one of those activities has a big impact on an individual carbon footprint, and one doesn't."
Despite the varied economic structures and lifestyles in the surveyed countries, the vast majority of participants consistently underestimated the carbon footprint of the richest 10% and 1%, while overestimating that of the bottom 50%.
Interestingly, individuals from the top 10% income bracket showed more support for climate policies, such as increasing the price of electricity during peak times, taxing red meat and subsidizing carbon capture and storage technologies.
The researchers suggest this could be due to higher education levels and a greater capacity to manage price changes amongst the wealthy.
"There are definitely groups out there who would like to push the responsibility of reducing carbon emissions away from corporations and onto individuals, which is problematic," added Debnath. "However, personal carbon footprints can illustrate the profound inequality within and between countries and help people identify how to live in a more climate-friendly way."
Previous studies have shown that common low-carbon behaviors like recycling and turning off lights are often overestimated in their impact, while high-impact activities including air travel and red meat consumption are underestimated. This new research demonstrates that these misconceptions extend to perceptions of inequality in carbon footprints.
Kristian Steensen Nielsen, an assistant professor in the center of sustainability at Copenhagen Business School and the first author of the study, pointed out the challenges poorer individuals face.
"Poorer people have more immediate concerns, such as how they're going to pay their rent or support their families," she said in the news release. "But across all income groups, people want real solutions to the climate crisis, whether those are regulatory or technological. However, the people with the highest carbon footprints bear the greatest responsibility for changing their lifestyles and reducing their footprints."
Notably, after being informed about the actual disparity in carbon footprints, most participants found the inequality to be slightly unfair, with individuals from Denmark and the United States deeming it the most unfair.
Conversely, those in the top 10% income group generally viewed the inequality as fairer, except in India.
"This could be because they're trying to justify their larger carbon footprints," Debnath added.
The study suggests that acknowledging these disparities is crucial in formulating climate policies that reflect fairness and justice across different socio-economic groups.
"Greater awareness and discussion of existing inequality in personal carbon footprints can help build political pressure to address these inequalities and develop climate solutions that work for all," added Nielsen.
This research was published in the journal Nature Climate Change, highlighting the necessity for inclusive climate action that considers the disproportionate contributions and responsibilities across different income groups.