Personal carbon footprint of the wealthy is vastly underestimated by both rich and poor, study finds

The personal carbon footprint of the wealthiest people in society is vastly underestimated, both by the rich themselves and by middle- and low-income people, regardless of their country of origin. At the same time, both the rich and the poor significantly overestimate the carbon footprint of the poorest people.

An international group of researchers, led by Copenhagen Business School, the University of Basel and the University of Cambridge, surveyed 4,000 people in Denmark, India, Nigeria and the United States about inequalities in personal carbon footprints (the total amount of greenhouse gases produced by a person’s activities) within their own countries.

While it is well known that there is a significant gap between the carbon footprints of the richest and poorest in society, it is unclear whether individuals are aware of this inequality. The four countries chosen for the survey are all different in terms of wealth, lifestyle and culture. Survey respondents also differ in terms of personal income, with half of the respondents belonging to the top 10% of income earners in their country.

The vast majority of participants in all four countries overestimated the average personal carbon footprint of the poorest 50% and underestimated that of the richest 10% and 1%.

However, respondents in the top 10% were more likely to support certain climate policies, such as increasing the price of electricity during peak periods, taxing red meat consumption or subsidizing carbon dioxide removal technologies such as carbon capture and storage.

The researchers say this may reflect generally higher levels of education among high-income people, a greater ability to absorb price-based policies, or a stronger preference for technological solutions to the climate crisis. The findings are published in the journal Nature Climate change.

Although the concept of a personal carbon or environmental footprint has been around for over 40 years, it became widely popularized in the mid-2000s, when fossil fuel company BP launched a major advertising campaign encouraging people to determine and reduce their personal carbon footprint.

“There are certainly groups that would like to shift the responsibility for reducing carbon emissions from companies to individuals, which is problematic,” said Dr Ramit Debnath, co-author of the study and assistant professor and Cambridge Zero Fellow at the University of Cambridge. “However, personal carbon footprints can illustrate deep inequalities within and between countries and help people identify how to live in a more climate-friendly way.”

Previous research has shown that misperceptions about the impact of certain consumer behaviors on an individual’s carbon footprint are widespread. For example, recycling, turning off the lights when leaving a room, and avoiding plastic packaging are low-impact behaviors whose impact on carbon footprint is overestimated. Conversely, the impact of behaviors such as eating red meat, heating and cooling homes, and traveling by air tend to be underestimated.

However, there is little research on whether these misperceptions extend to people’s perceptions of the composition and magnitude of their personal carbon footprint and their ability to make comparisons across different groups.

The four countries selected for the survey (Denmark, India, Nigeria and the United States) were chosen because of their different levels of carbon emissions per capita and levels of economic inequality. In each country, approximately 1,000 participants were surveyed, with half of each group of participants belonging to the richest 10% of their country and the other half to the poorest 90%.

Participants were asked to estimate the average personal carbon footprint specific to three income groups (the poorest 50%, the richest 10%, and the richest 1%) in their country. Most participants overestimated the average personal carbon footprint of the poorest 50% and underestimated the average carbon footprint of the richest 10% and the richest 1%.

“These countries are very different, but we found that the wealthy are quite similar no matter where you go, and their concerns are different from the rest of society,” Debnath said.

The researchers also looked at whether people’s perceptions of carbon footprint inequality were related to their support for different climate policies. They found that Danish and Nigerian participants who underestimated carbon footprint inequality were generally less supportive of climate policies. They also found that Indian participants in the top 10% were generally more supportive of climate policies, perhaps reflecting their higher education and greater resources.

“The poorest have more immediate concerns, like how they’re going to pay their rent or provide for their family,” said Dr. Kristian Steensen Nielsen, lead author of the study, from Copenhagen Business School. “But across all income groups, people want real solutions to the climate crisis, whether regulatory or technological. However, those with the highest carbon footprints have the greatest responsibility to change their lifestyles and reduce their footprint.”

After learning about carbon footprint inequality, most participants found it slightly unfair, with Danes and Americans being the most affected. However, people in the top 10% generally found the inequality fairer than the general population, except in India. “This could be because they are trying to justify their larger carbon footprint,” Debnath said.

Researchers say more work is needed to determine how best to promote equity and justice in climate action across countries, cultures and communities.

“Because of their greater financial and political influence, most climate policies reflect the interests of the wealthiest in society and rarely involve fundamental changes in their lifestyles or social status,” Debnath said.

“Increased awareness and discussion about existing inequalities in personal carbon footprints can help create political pressure to address these inequalities and develop climate solutions that work for all,” Nielsen said.