CO₂ emissions inequality through the lens of developing countries

There is increasing interest in CO₂ emissions inequality between and within countries, and concerns about the impacts of COVID-19 on vulnerable groups. In this study, the CO₂ emissions inequality based on the different consumption category data of disaggregated income groups in eight developing countries is analyzed with the application of input-output model. We further examine the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on CO₂ emissions inequality based on the hypothetical extraction method, and the results reveal that the outbreak has decreased the CO₂ emissions inequality and emissions over time. However, the shared socioeconomic pathway scenario simulation results indicate that long-term CO₂ emissions inequality will persist. Targeted poverty elimination measures improve the utility of the low- and lowest-income groups and reduce CO₂ emissions inequality. Reducing the excessive consumption on the demand side as well as improving the energy efficiency and increasing the share of renewable energy in the energy consumption on the supply side will provide more informed options to achieve multiple desirable outcomes, such as poverty elimination and climate change mitigation.