Humanity's emissions of greenhouse gases are already leading to deaths due to heatwaves. Furthermore, crop yields are decreasing, and the emissions are also causing economic losses.
The world's richest 10 percent – including seven out of ten Swedes – are responsible for half of the emissions on Earth, according to a new report from the aid organization Oxfam.
When it comes to maize, wheat, and soybean crops – some of the largest crops in the world – an additional 48.2 million people could theoretically have been fed between 1990 and 2023 if the 30-year emissions from the top 10 percent had not occurred.
The figures are based on calculations of how much larger the crop yields would have been without global warming, even though yields have improved in some areas. These measures have then been translated into calories.
Worse weather ahead
And it's going to get worse, as the global temperature increase leads to more extreme weather such as droughts and floods, which severely affect crops.
The emissions that have already occurred from 1990, combined with the projected emissions until 2030 from the world's richest 10 percent, will cause annual crop losses until 2050 that could have fed an average of 148.8 million people, according to the report.
Oxfam has also looked closer at the share caused by Swedes. Already, the reduced crop yields correspond to food for 260,000 people per year, a figure that will almost double in the coming years until 2050.
We believe that Sweden is a small country and really good at working with climate issues. But we still have disproportionately high emissions that are increasing and having devastating consequences around the world, says Astrid Nilsson Lewis.
Proposes wealth tax
At the UN climate meeting COP29, the financing of the fund to cover losses and damages due to climate change is expected to be a hot topic. According to Oxfam, Sweden should contribute 24 billion kronor. A large sum, but one that could be covered by a wealth tax based on a step-by-step model starting at 2 percent on assets over 50 million kronor.
There is plenty of money to be found in this group that emits extremely much. If we introduce a new wealth tax on Swedish multimillionaires and billionaires, we could generate 158 billion kronor, says Nilsson Lewis.
Oxfam has calculated the significance of Swedes' emissions. Seven out of ten Swedes are part of the richest 10 percent of the world, which in turn accounts for half of global emissions.
On average, Swedes' consumption-based emissions under one single year will lead to 4,600 cases of excess mortality over the next 100 years.
Swedes' emissions between 1990-2019 will result in 228 billion kronor in economic losses per year until 2050, as well as crop losses that could feed 511,000 people annually until 2050.
Source: The report "Sweden's responsibility in the climate crisis"/Oxfam
There is a growing scientific consensus that global maize, wheat, and soybean crops are negatively affected by climate change, and that the situation is expected to worsen. However, no impact has been observed on rice.
Despite this, global crop yields have increased in recent years, partly due to new areas being cultivated and agricultural efficiency improvements.
There is no food shortage at the global level today, but rather an enormous waste, and the food that is produced is not distributed fairly.
Sources: IPCC, US Department of Agriculture, etc.
