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High-Income Groups Disproportionately Contribute to Climate Extremes Worldwide

Summary/Abstract

This study examines the impacts of global warming that are attributable to the wealthiest populations, and find that high-income groups’ emissions have contributed a disproportionate amount to climate change and climate extremes. The study reports that two-thirds of global warming is attributable to the GHG emissions of the wealthiest 10% of people. It also finds that the “wealthiest 10% in the United States and China led to a two- to threefold increase in heat extremes across vulnerable regions.”

View Resource
May 2025
Sarah Schöngart, Zebedee Nicholls, Roman Hoffmann, Setu Pelz, Carl-Friedrich Schleussner
Nature Climate Change
Peer-reviewed Study
Global
Source Attribution

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