Carbon Emissions of Richest 1%
Provided by: Oxfam|Published on: May 12, 2025
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Economics
Authors: Oxfam
Region: Global
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this article, students will learn about the emissions of the richest 1%, 5%, and 10% of people globally between 1990 and 2015, as compared to the rest of the world.
- The article, written in September of 2020, calls for governments to regulate and tax high-emission practices and reinvest in public services and career paths to help reduce poverty.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This article is brief, and students can likely finish and discuss it within one class period.
- The article sheds light on this important subject, which can sometimes be overlooked when discussing emissions from human activities.
Prerequisites
- Students should understand the causes and impacts of climate change.
- It may benefit students to have background knowledge about government and economic practices, such as subsidies and taxation.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Noting that the article was written in 2020, students can discuss whether or not they think governments effectively reshaped the economy to be more equitable following the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Students can look further into the ways the poor are disproportionately impacted by climate change. This can start a discussion about environmental justice, where students can consider things like the ability to relocate in the event of an emergency, and being able to afford adaptive measures such as air conditioning.
- After reading the article, students can explore possible avenues for reducing emissions through economic policies and other government actions. This lesson can help support this exploration.
The article explains the difference between the magnitude of carbon emissions from the wealthiest one percent of people versus the rest of people. This illustrates the inequalities between the rich and poor, both with their emissions and impacts, which brings up the concept of climate justice. The information presented is accurate and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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