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Wealthiest Danes are by far the worst CO2 emitters
Christian Wenande
September 5th, 2022
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The top 1 percent emit ten times as much CO2 than the average Dane, according to new climate inequality report
There’s a huge difference when it comes to CO2 emitters (photo: Pixabay)
When it comes to CO2 emissions, the wealthiest in Denmark emit far more than their fair share compared to the rest of the population.
According to the new World Inequality Report, the wealthiest 1 percent in Denmark emit ten times as much CO2 than the average person.
The report found that the top 1 percent on average emitted 93.1 tonnes of CO2 annually, while the average person emitted just 8.0 tonnes.
Even the wealthiest 90-99 percent were far behind the top 1 percent group at 22.6 tonnes annually.
READ ALSO: Government unveils ambitious green tax reform
“A climate debt”
The lowest emitters were the poorest 10 percent, which emitted just 3.5 tonnes per year.
In fact, the wealthiest 1 percent globally have a climate footprint that is the equivalent of that produced by three billion of the world’s poorest people.
“It’s really important to be aware that the climate crisis we are experiencing is primarily created by wealthy people in rich countries, while it mostly impacts vulnerable people in the poorest countries,” Lars Koch, the secretary general of Oxfam Ibis, told DR Nyheder.
“We [the wealthiest countries] have a climate debt as it is us who have created the crisis. The climate change that is already happening demands that developing countries adapt while they sustain immense damage. Just look at Pakistan.”
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