World's richest 10% produce half of global carbon emissions

[Simon]

You usually hear the phrase that we're all responsible for climate change and that it's a global problem and all that. But is that really true? Are we all equally responsible for climate change? Of course not.

World's richest 10% produce half of global carbon emissions, says Oxfam | Environment | The Guardian

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But poorest half of world’s people contribute to just 10% of emissions, says British charity as negotiators work on UN climate change deal in Paris

A report, released by British charity Oxfam in 2015, clearly shows how unequal this responsibility really is. According to the report, the world's richest 10 percent produce half of the greenhouse gas emissions that's causing this climate crisis. Meanwhile, the poorest half only contribute a mere 10 percent of emissions. And let's be real here, not much has happened over the course of two years to change this unequal division.

And this is not about individuals, either, it's about developing and developed nations, the South versus the North. And of course it's not all black and white.

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“Rich, high emitters should be held accountable for their emissions, no matter where they live,” Oxfam climate policy head, Tim Gore, said in a statement.

“But it’s easy to forget that rapidly developing economies are also home to the majority of the world’s very poorest people and while they have to do their fair share, it is rich countries that should still lead the way.”

The rich, and developed countries, have a historic responsibility to make deeper cuts than poorer developing countries, and to take the lead in the fight against climate change. After all, they have the most to cut and can best afford to forgo "development".

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Developing countries say the West has polluted for much longer and should shoulder a bigger obligation for cutting back.

They also demand assurances of finance to help them shift to less-polluting renewable energy, shore up defences against climate impacts such as sea level rise, droughts and superstorms, and to cover damage that cannot be avoided.

“We hope advanced nations will assume ambitious targets and pursue them sincerely. It’s not just a question of historical responsibility – they also have the most room to make the cuts and make the strongest impact,” Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, told Monday’s opening of the summit by world leaders.

 

That's climate justice.