World's wealthiest 10pc contributing most to global warming than poorest 50pc: Study

TEN percent of the world’s richest individuals have a higher carbon footprint than the poorest 50 per cent, leading to climate extremes such as heat waves and droughts, according to a study on Wednesday.

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The study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, that the world's wealthiest 10 per cent are responsible for two-thirds of observed global warming since 1990.

"Our study shows that extreme climate impacts are not just the result of abstract global emissions, instead we can directly link them to our lifestyle and investment choices, which in turn are linked to wealth," explains lead author Sarah Schongart, from the ETH Zurich in Switzerland.