Overview

• A Nature Climate Change study attributes two-thirds of global warming since 1990 to the wealthiest 10%, highlighting their disproportionate climate impact.
• The top 1% of emitters contributed 26 times the global average to deadly heatwaves and 17 times more to droughts in vulnerable regions like the Amazon.
• Researchers used innovative modeling to trace emissions from income groups to specific climate disasters, marking the first study of its kind.
• Emissions from the wealthiest 10% in the U.S. and China alone caused a two- to threefold rise in heat extremes in affected regions.
• The findings bolster proposals for progressive taxes on wealth and carbon-intensive investments, though global efforts to implement such policies remain stalled.