Wealthiest 10% Inflict $5.7 Trillion in Environmental Harm Annually

WHO:

ScienceAlert - Environmental scientists Inge Schrijver, Rutger Hoekstra, and Paul Behrens from Leiden University in the Netherlands conducted the study.

Phys.org - The study refers to the world's highest-consuming 10% of people.

WHAT:

ScienceAlert - The world's wealthiest 10% are responsible for environmental damages estimated between $1.7 trillion and $5.7 trillion annually.

ScienceAlert - The damages equate to $2,300 to $7,500 per person (in 2017 US dollars).

ScienceAlert - The top 10% of US consumers face environmental bills ranging from $19,000 to $63,000, which is 6% to 20% of their income or 0.8% to 3% of their wealth.

ScienceAlert - In India, the top 10% have bills ranging from $410 to $1,400, about 0.8% to 2.8% of their incomes or 0.2% to 0.5% of their wealth.

Phys.org - The environmental damage caused by the highest-consuming 10% is several times more than the international community's commitments to climate action and biodiversity conservation.

WHERE:

ScienceAlert - The study includes data from global consumers, specifically highlighting the top 10% in the US and China.

WHEN:

ScienceAlert - The study uses consumption-based 'footprints' from 2017 for its calculations.

ScienceAlert - The study mentions a funding gap in biodiversity protection that could be covered by 2030.

ScienceAlert - The study indicates that the US's top 10% could cover the $993 billion needed annually to meet targets set at COP30 by 2035.

WHY:

ScienceAlert - The study aims to highlight the differentiated responsibility of society's top decile regarding environmental impact.

ScienceAlert - The researchers suggest that environmental taxes targeted at the wealthiest could help fund necessary transitions to prevent environmental collapse.

HOW:

ScienceAlert - The researchers calculated the environmental debt by assessing the consumption-based 'footprints' of the wealthiest 10% and assigning monetary values to various forms of environmental damage using the Environmental Prices Handbook 2024.

(UPDATED June 18, 2026 19:54 UTC)

A new study from environmental scientists at Leiden University reveals that the world's wealthiest 10% are responsible for environmental damages estimated between $1.7 trillion and $5.7 trillion annually, translating to costs of $2,300 to $7,500 per person. In the U.S., the top 10% face environmental bills ranging from $19,000 to $63,000, while in India, these bills range from $410 to $1,400, highlighting a significant disparity in environmental impact. The researchers suggest that implementing targeted environmental taxes on this affluent group could help fund necessary transitions to prevent environmental collapse, with the U.S. top 10% potentially covering the $993 billion needed annually to meet targets set at COP30 by 2035.