A recent report has revealed an alarming fact: the world's richest 1% exhausted their share of the global carbon budget for 2025 in just 10 days. This underscores the enormous inequality in resource consumption and its impact on climate change.

What is the carbon budget?

The carbon budget is the maximum amount of carbon dioxide that can be emitted globally to keep the rise in global temperature below 1.5°C, according to the Paris Agreement. Exceeding this limit would have catastrophic consequences for the climate, including rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and biodiversity loss.

The impact of excessive consumption

The study indicates that luxury activities, such as private jet travel, megayachts, and energy-intensive properties, are responsible for the majority of these emissions. In contrast, the poorest 50% of the world's population contributes very little to climate change.

What can be done

1. Stricter policies: Implement progressive carbon taxes for highly polluting activities.
2. Lifestyle changes: Promoting more sustainable consumption among economic elites.
3. Public awareness: Pressuring governments and corporations to adopt greener practices.