According to a new analysis by Oxfam, the world’s richest 1% exhausted their entire individual carbon budget for 2026 just 10 days into the year. This milestone, dubbed “Pollutocrat Day,” highlights extreme carbon inequality, noting that the emissions from this group are projected to cause 1.3 million heat-related deaths by the end of the century. The report emphasizes that these emissions stem not only from luxury lifestyles involving private jets and yachts but also from significant investments in polluting industries. To address this disparity, experts are calling on governments to implement higher taxes on the super-rich and fossil fuel companies to fund climate damage reparations in vulnerable nations.
Date: January 10, 2026. Source: euronews.com