A new study by the nonprofit Oxfam International found that the wealthiest 1 percent of the population produce as much carbon as the bottom 66 percent. This new study has given a boost to critics who rail against high-profile global elites who travel in carbon-spewing private planes while calling for everyday individuals to cut their carbon footprints. The study revealed that just 77 million people have emitted as much carbon as the bottom 66 percent–or five billion people–of the world’s population. Additionally, the analysis stated that it would take 1,500 years for the ordinary 99% to emit the amount of carbon that the 1% emit each year.
The study, which analyzed emissions from different income groups until 2019, also estimated that participants at the COP28 climate talks in Dubai in November would likely be part of the elite group. This potential for conflict originated because the rich’s enormous use of carbon-emitting private jets has been a target for criticism. For example, it caused a four-times over the average emissions week during the 2021 Fortune Global Forum in Davos.
This climate hypocrisy has not gone unnoticed. Klara Maria Schenk of Greenpeace dubbed the private jet use at the Davos meetings a “distasteful masterclass of hypocrisy” and a critique from Roger L. Simon denounced climate conferences for not solving the problems the world faces. For instance, he stated that nearly 400 global leaders showed up to the COP26 climate conference in Scotland on private jets, which may have resulted in negligible outcomes.
This criticism has led to some global leaders reconsidering their use of private jets, such as John Kerry, the special climate envoy of President Joe Biden. Mr. Kerry sold his family’s private jet after previously drawing criticism for flying on a private jet to Iceland in 2019. Despite this, Mr. Kerry defended his actions, saying that “it’s the only choice for somebody like me.” However, his actions have not gone unnoticed, with Senator Bill Cassidy criticizing him for flying around the world in a private jet while simultaneously trying to put fuel suppliers out of a job.