Climate change, private jets | A very clear message to the wealthy:

An astonishing study reveals how the super-rich would be 30 times higher in emissions than the Paris target.

If the world has any real chance of meeting Paris’ ambitious goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, every human on Earth must reduce carbon dioxide emissions to 2.3 tons by 2030. The annual average per capita is twice the height.

The carbon dioxide emissions of the world’s richest 1 per cent are about to be 30 times higher than what meets the 1.5 degree target in the Paris Agreement.

Appears in a new one study Conducted by the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) at the request of the international non-profit organization Oxfam.

The world’s richest 1 percent, which makes up just under Germany’s population, is on track to emit an average of 70 tons of carbon dioxide each if current consumption continues at the same pace.

Altogether, the richest 1 percent will account for 16 percent of global emissions in 2030, which is a 3 percentage point increase from 13 percent in 1990. Meanwhile, 50 percent of the world’s poorest population will account for an annual emission It is equivalent to one ton of carbon dioxide each.

A very clear message to the wealthy

“It seems that a very small elite have free passage to pollute. Their massive emissions are fueling extreme weather around the world and threatening the international goal of limiting global warming.” the message from Oxfam.

Our main message is that if CO2 emissions are not curbed for the world’s richest 1 percent, we will not be able to meet the 1.5°C warming goal. So our chance of combating climate change will be very slim. The authorities must address this, if the authorities do not act now, the richest 1 per cent will continue to get a free permit to pollute, Oxfam’s director of climate policy, Navkot Dappie, tells Nettavisen.

What is Oxfam’s message to these rich people?

The choices you make have a huge impact on our planet and the rest of us. The choices you make—whether it’s space travel, owning mega homes or mega yachts—have a devastating impact on the world in the form of global and local climate change. Dabi says you also have a chance to make a difference if you reduce your emissions.

It’s no secret that the wealthy enjoy a standard of living that leaves a carbon footprint much larger than the rest of the world’s population. Many wealthy people own many homes, private jets, and luxury yachts. One check up who monitored celebrity travel habits via social media, concluded that some celebrities have annual emissions in excess of a thousand tons, he writes. BBC.

Oxfam is also highly critical of the emergence of so-called private space tourism – where the wealthy buy short trips into space to fly into Earth orbit.

according to Watchman An 11-minute spaceflight emits more than 75 tons of carbon dioxide, which exceeds the amount emitted by one of the world’s poorest billion people for a lifetime.

Facts about climate concepts

net zero emissions: To stabilize the global average temperature, greenhouse gas emissions must be “net zero”. Net zero emissions are achieved when there is a balance between greenhouse gas emissions and greenhouse gas uptake. Then you must remove at least the amount of carbon dioxide emitted from the atmosphere. In the Paris Agreement, net zero emissions is “a balance between anthropogenic emissions from sources and greenhouse gas emissions in the second half of our century”.

Carbon budget: Carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for several hundred years after being discharged, and the natural uptake of carbon dioxide through the carbon cycle at sea and on land is slow. This means that net cumulative carbon dioxide emissions lead to an increase in the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere and a corresponding increase in temperature. Net emissions means that carbon dioxide uptake is subtracted from human-made carbon dioxide emissions.

If global warming is to be limited to 1.5°C, there is a limit to net carbon dioxide emissions, the so-called carbon budget. See the next report for the exact definition. How quickly carbon dioxide is emitted determines the number of years left until emissions must be “net zero”. Scientists often work with different levels of probability to reach a particular temperature target due to the uncertainties in the climate system.

Carbon removal rate: If heating is to be limited to 1.5°C or 2°C without using much of the carbon budget, very rapid changes are needed in electricity production, the transportation sector, the construction sector, the agricultural sector, and industry. The longer carbon dioxide emissions continue to be at the same level as today, the faster carbon must be removed. More information on this is expected in the IPCC report.

Negative Emissions Technologies: Negative Emissions Technologies are technologies that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and will be necessary in addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. If one does not succeed in achieving sufficient emission reductions, so that the carbon budget is used and the temperature target is temporarily exceeded, this will increase the need to use technologies for negative emissions so that the temperature will drop again. Techniques and methods that contribute to negative emissions are afforestation and forest management to increase carbon storage in vegetation and soil, and carbon neutral bioenergy along with carbon capture and storage. Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, a possible technology, generates electricity through the combustion of sustainably grown bioenergy crops and forest waste, and prevents the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by trapping it in an incinerator and then storing it underground. If this type of technology is developed on a large scale, it can help reduce the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere so that the temperature returns to a certain level. Notably, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage can also have consequences for land use and food security. Even with the use of technologies for negative emissions, emissions reduction measures for other climate forces, such as methane and soot, will be needed.

Carbon capture and storage: Carbon capture and storage is the process of capturing carbon dioxide from combustion exhaust gases from factories and power plants, and then storing it in underground geologic formations. The technology is in use today, but not on a large scale.

Source: Cicero

catastrophic cycle

According to the study by Oxfam, it’s not just billionaires who make up 1% of the world’s richest people. According to the study, anyone with an annual income of more than $172,000 (1.5 million kronor) is considered to be in the richest group at 1 percent. BBC.

The world’s richest 10 percent, with an income of $55,000 (472,000 kroner), will represent climate emissions 9 times higher than the average emissions per capita in line with the 1.5-degree target.

Dabe says she is very disappointed with the initial results that have come out of the Climate Summit (COP26) in Glasgow.

– We’re on course for a catastrophic 2.7 degree warming. No country, with the exception of Gabon, has climate ambitions compatible with the 1.5 degree goal. Dabi tells Nettavisen that the Climate Action Tracker’s calculations show that Gabon is the only country in the world with climate ambitions compatible with the 1.5 degree goal.

Facts about climate change

*The Earth’s average temperature is now just over 1 degree higher than it was at the end of the 19th century.

* There is no doubt that human activity has warmed the world, as the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded in its new report in 2021.

* Humanity’s impact on the climate is mainly due to emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases that increase the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere.

* Emissions come from the combustion of coal, oil and gas, deforestation, agriculture, and industrial processes. This is in addition to greenhouse gas emissions from natural sources.

* Rising soil temperatures are leading to higher sea levels, more intense heat waves, new patterns of precipitation, droughts, floods and species extinctions.

Rising sea levels, heat waves and droughts could increase migration in many parts of the world. High temperatures and drought can make food production difficult in some areas.

* Climate change is expected to become more comprehensive in line with greenhouse gas emissions. Despite many years of policy discussions and investment in renewable energy, global emissions have continued to increase.

(Category: IPCC, NASA, NOAA, NTB)

Limit heating to 1.8 degrees?

The goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit global warming to below 2 degrees, preferably 1.5 degrees.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that global warming could be limited to 1.8 degrees if climate promises from Glasgow are fulfilled.

The IEA’s analysis is based on model calculations based on the fact that all promises from Glasgow on so-called net zero emissions (the balance between climate emissions and the uptake of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere) and promises to reduce methane emissions are being kept.

During the Climate Summit (COP26) in Glasgow, more than 80 countries committed to reducing methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030. Several Western countries reported ambitious targets and promises to the United Nations for zero emissions by 2050. China and India aim for zero emissions by 2030. net zero by 2060 and 2070, respectively.

“Big news. Climate promises from COP26 mean Glasgow is getting closer to Paris. New IEA analyzes show global warming is limited to 1.8 degrees if we deliver on the net promises of zero emissions so far and the promise of global methane to those who have signed on. This is a big step forward, but there is still a lot to be done,” IEA head Fatih Birol wrote on Twitter.