Wealthy people with environmental ideals are the biggest emitters

Private jets are the most carbon-intensive way to travelSteve Allen / Alamy

People who care the most about the environment also do the most environmental damage with their jet-setting lifestyle, at least among those with the highest income and education.

But rather than being a critique of environmentalism, this finding shows that changing policy is more important than changing values when it comes to halting the climate and biodiversity crises, scientists say.

“We do not want to suggest that individuals are solely responsible for their carbon footprints”, since low-carbon alternatives to activities like flying are often still hard to find, says Malte Dewies at the University of Cambridge, one of the researchers behind the new work.

In fact, the term “carbon footprint” was popularised by BP to shift responsibility to consumers.