Top earners in UK use nearly three times more energy than bottom 30%, study finds

The top 10 per cent of the UK’s high-end earners consume almost three times more energy as the bottom 30 per cent, a study suggests.

Research from Ecological Economics has found that the amount of fuel used by the top 10 per cent for their private jets and driving contributes more towards the energy footprint compared to the bottom 60 per cent.

Following the Cop27 briefing earlier in November, nations were urged to cut down on fossil fuel use to prevent temperatures from increasing by 1.5C.

To meet this target, social inequalities need to be reduced. The study’s lead author, Dr Marta Baltruszewicz, said the UK government is promoting “energy-intense lifestyles of income elites.”

She stated the excess energy use due to flying could be addressed by frequent flyer levies which would help distribute flying more equally.

“The purpose of flying should be considered though when designing interventions as there is a difference between weekend shopping trips to Paris and trips to reconnect and care for family abroad,” she said.

She added: “Those living in urban areas have lower EF (energy factor) but are not immune to energy-intense lifestyles, as flying to distant destinations has become an expected and affordable way of holidaying.”

“Current energy consumption is too high to maintain global warming within 1.5C without resorting to massive negative emissions,” the study noted.

There are well-known inequalities between rich and poor nations when it comes to responsibility for the climate crisis.

Climate and energy policy website, Carbon Brief stated the average person in the UK uses four times more energy yearly than the average person in India, and 21 times more than the average person in East Africa.

“We know that energy use and carbon emissions associated with it are highly unequally distributed, with the top 10 per cent of income earners (mostly in the Global North) responsible for 49 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions,” the study’s authors wrote.