- A recent study titled “Water, Air Pollution, and Carbon Footprints of Conspicuous/Luxury Consumption in India” highlights the environmental impact of affluent individuals, particularly those engaging in consumption beyond basic needs.
- The study examines the CO2, water, and particulate matter (PM2.5) footprints associated with luxury consumption choices such as dining out, vacations, furniture, and social events among households in India across different economic classes.
- Environmental footprints increase with household economic class. The richest 10% of households have footprints approximately double the population average.
- From the ninth to the 10th decile, there is a notable surge in footprints:
- Air pollution footprint increases by 68%.
- Water footprint increases by 39%.
- CO2 emissions increase by 55%.
- Increased luxury consumption, particularly dining out, fruits and nuts, and luxury items like personal goods and jewellery, significantly raise the environmental footprints in the 10th decile.
- The top decile’s average per capita CO2 footprint in India is 6.7 tonnes per year, higher than the global average of 4.7 tonnes in 2010 and the 1.9 tonnes CO2eq/cap required to meet the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target.
- Despite being lower than the average U.S. or U.K. citizen, this disparity highlights the need for urgent policy attention.
Dig Deeper: Know about India’s INDC’s and recent updates to it, along with total carbon footprint of India.
