Woman holding cash. Credit: Pavel Danilyuk, Pexels
Wealthiest emitters blamed for sharp rise in extreme heat and drought risks
The richest 10 per cent of people in the world are responsible for two-thirds of the global temperature increase, according to a major new study published in Nature Climate Change on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.
The peer-reviewed analysis links income-based greenhouse gas emissions directly to the rise in extreme weather. Using cutting-edge climate models, the authors found that the lifestyle and investment choices of high earners have had a dramatic impact on the world’s climate.
How emissions inequality fuels extreme weather
According to the study, the world’s richest 10 per cent contributed 6.5 times more to global warming than the average person – a group they defined as including all those earning more than €42,980 a year. The wealthiest 1 per cent (earning over €147,200) were responsible for 20 per cent of global heating. And the top 0.1 per cent, roughly 800,000 people earning more than €537,770 annually, were accountable for 8 per cent of all global warming.
Lead author Sarah Schöngart of ETH Zürich said, “Our study shows that extreme climate impacts are not just the result of abstract global emissions; instead we can directly link them to our lifestyle and investment choices, which in turn are linked to wealth.” (Cited by The Guardian.)
The researchers examined the 0.61°C increase in global mean temperature from 1990 to 2020 and found about 65 per cent of that warming was due to emissions from the top 10 per cent income group – those earning more than €42,980 a year.
Deadly impact of global warming in regions that pollute the least
The study found that the effects of emissions are not felt equally across the globe. While wealthy regions such as the US and EU are the biggest emitters, the worst impacts are hitting lower-income countries in the global south:
- Emissions from the richest 10 per cent in the US and China alone caused a two- to threefold rise in deadly heat extremes in the Amazon, Southeast Asia, and southeast Africa.
- In the Amazon, extreme drought risk has tripled, largely due to wealthy polluters.
- The top 1 per cent of emitters were linked to 26 times more once-in-a-century heat events than the global average.
The case for wealth-targeted climate policies
The study’s authors argue that policies to reduce emissions must now include accountability measures for the ultra-wealthy, especially given their role in worsening climate extremes. Head of the Integrated Climate Impacts Research Group, Carl-Friedrich Schleussner, said, “Climate action that doesn’t address the outsize responsibilities of the wealthiest members of society risks missing one of the most powerful levers we have to reduce future harm.” (Cited by France24.)
The researchers also noted that a substantial share of emissions from the richest groups comes not just from personal consumption, but from financial investments. Calls for progressive wealth taxes, particularly on high-emissions assets, are gaining traction but remain politically stalled in many countries.
Read the full study in Nature Climate Change.
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