The richest Quebec households have a carbon footprint three times higher than the poorest households. This estimate, calculated from the consumption habits of different segments of the population, is that of the Quebec Observatory on Inequalities, which published an analysis on this subject on Tuesday.
The top quintile of households in Quebec, in terms of disposable income, — that is, the richest 20% — have a carbon footprint of 28 tonnes of CO2 per year. Households in the bottom quintile release, through their consumption, only 10 tonnes per year.
Such an analysis had never been carried out for Quebec, says economist Geoffroy Boucher, author of the study. It is based on data from the Institut de la statistique du Québec and Statistics Canada for the year 2017. On average, there are 2.17 people per household in Quebec.
Across all income brackets, energy and fuels (8.2 tons of CO2 per year, per household) constitute the largest carbon contribution. Food comes second (3.6 tons), followed by transportation — which includes vehicles, parts, etc. —, ranks third (1.9 tonnes).
A host of other consumption habits are responsible for the rest of the carbon footprint: furniture, household appliances, leisure, clothing, healthcare, etc. Unsurprisingly, the emissions associated with each of the categories climb as disposable income increases.
“Certain government measures help households reduce their carbon footprint: for example, incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles or green renovation programs,” underlines Mr. Boucher. Unfortunately, low-income people have little access to these programs. And despite everything, their carbon footprint remains lower than that of wealthier households. »
Note that the carbon footprint, calculated according to consumption habits, includes not only greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions made in Quebec, but also those made abroad for the manufacture of imported products.
The Observatory report does not consider emissions associated with household investments. It is “probable” that, if taken into account, they would “significantly” increase the emissions of the wealthiest households, it is specified. At the Canadian level, the first decile of emitters generates 10 times more GHGs than the last decile, when their investments are taken into account.
The report briefly points out that the least affluent Quebec households are more vulnerable to heat waves because their homes are generally less well “adapted”. The Observatory intends to continue to explore the issues of “climate justice” in its research projects.
According to a report by the Statistical Institute of Quebec published last year, the carbon footprint of each Quebecer, calculated according to their consumption, amounts to 8.7 tonnes of CO2 per year. To hope to limit global warming to 1.5°C, each human would have to emit a maximum of 1.9 tonnes of CO2 per year by 2050, before reducing its emissions to zero.