World's Richest 1% Blew Their 2026 Carbon Budget in 10 Days

The world's richest 1% of people used their entire annual "fair share" of carbon emissions in just the first 10 days of 2026. This finding comes from a new analysis by the charity Oxfam. It defines a fair share as the amount each person could emit to stay within global climate goals. The wealthiest 0.1% exhausted their personal carbon budget even faster. They used up their annual allowance in only three days. The report highlights the extreme inequality in global carbon emissions. A small, wealthy minority consumes a vastly disproportionate share of the world's carbon budget. This is the amount of emissions scientists say can be released before triggering dangerous climate change. Oxfam's research suggests that the carbon emissions of the richest people are driven by luxury consumption. This includes frequent private jet flights, mega-yachts, and large investments in polluting industries. In contrast, the poorest half of the world's population will take more than a year to emit their individual fair share.