A new report by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) reveals that high-income households emit more greenhouse gases (GHG) than poorer citizens due primarily to their travel habits.
DIW’s Sandra Bohmann, co-author of a report in the institute’s latest Weekly Report informed that air travel in particular increases an individual’s carbon footprint, becoming one of the main reasons for higher-income households having a carbon footprint twice as high as lower-income households.
She said, “A single long-haul flight causes more emissions per capita than housing and food-related emissions in an entire year combined.”
The DIW analysed Germany’s per capita carbon footprint in residential energy use, nutrition, and transport, finding it at 6.5 tonnes per year—double than required to achieve the Paris climate agreement target.
Key emission drivers according to the report include air travel, meat consumption, household size, and per capita living space. Based on these findings, DIW recommends greater individual efforts and targeted political actions like simplifying home swapping, energy-efficient renovations, banning short-haul flights, and introducing an animal welfare levy.
To meet the 2045 carbon neutrality goal, the report emphasises the need for significant individual and political efforts, including boosting residential energy efficiency, promoting eco-friendly diets, and expanding sustainable transport while cutting emissions-intensive options. A related DIW report on sustainable consumption highlights the necessity of considering purchasing power differences, as low-income households often cannot afford sustainable products like organic food or fair-trade clothing.