Drivers of Carbon and Environmental Consumption Footprint Inequality in the EU

• In Event: 30410 - Environmental Inequalities

Abstract

The environmental pressure of human activity has reached a critical juncture, with widespread consequences for people’s well-being. Research shows that the wealthiest are the segment of society contributing the most to this phenomenon. Yet it is still unclear whether this is due to larger economic means or different consumption choices, due to a lack of granular data. Moreover, the existing focus of scholarly debate on GHG emissions neglects the different planetary boundaries that the rich are disproportionately transgressing. The present research aims at estimating and explaining inequality in the distribution of carbon and other environmental consumption footprints in Europe across economic classes. It does so based on a novel granular micro-level dataset across 27 EU countries combining household-level expenditure data from the EU-HBS provided by Eurostat with product-level impact factors produced by the European Commission Joint Research Centre. Our data reveal that the contribution of the rich to climate change and environmental degradation is almost double (+82%) that of the poor. This figure is rather consistent across the 16 different environmental dimensions we explore, except for the depletion of mineral and metal resources (+164%). Eutrophication and mineral/metal resources depletion are the areas where the rich are the sole class living beyond the safe space for humanity. Across the different environmental dimensions, food is the areas contributing the most (53%) to footprint inequality, expect for the dimension of the mineral/metal resources depletion, where mobility is prevalent (52%). Footprint inequality is due to both a “size” effect, meaning that the rich consume more and therefore pollute more, but also a “selection” effect, meaning that the rich select products with greater environmental impact to a greater extent. Our research reveals an under-investigated form of inequality and identifies a series of entry points for policy intervention to achieve a fair green transition.

Authors

• Giuseppe Ciccolini, European Commission - Joint Research Centre

• Elisabeth Joossens

• Julia Le Blanc

• Roberto Pasqualino

• Esther Sanye Mengual

• Slavica Zec