REM: Carbon footprints of the top 1% are far higher than we assume

People tend to underestimate the carbon emissions of the wealthiest 1% while overestimating the emissions of lower-income groups. This misjudgement could hinder climate justice efforts and the adoption of effective climate policies, says a new study in Nature Climate Change.

"What we find is that people underestimate the footprint of high-income groups [by] quite a lot," Kristian Nielsen from Copenhagen Business School in Denmark and the lead author told New Scientist.

"And we also know that the wealthy generally have disproportionate influence on which policies are being promoted... talked about in the media and politically advanced or prioritised – so they have special interests, and part of that could be to also protect their own lifestyle," he said.

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