Criticism of Taylor Swift’s private jet flights inspired Tasnia Hussain. The PhD candidate’s job market paper, Optimal Carbon Policy Under Carbon Inequality, now contributes evidence for tax policies that will reduce carbon emissions and support the population’s long overdue breakup with fossil fuels.
“Two years ago, there was a lot of outrage on Twitter about celebrity private jet use,” Hussain remembered. “People were angry because carbon taxes felt regressive, most people feel them at the gas pump or when heating their homes. Meanwhile, the ultra-rich continue to fly private and sail on massive yachts. That moment made me realize this was the perfect intersection of my interests in inequality and climate.”
Carbon inequality is the idea that wealthy households are responsible for a disproportionate share of emissions and climate change compared to lower income households whose emissions are generated through heating their homes and commuting to work.
“Carbon inequality results not just because of the consumption habits of the wealthy, but also because of how they generate their wealth,” Hussain explained. “For the top 0.1% of the population, their income comes primarily from business ownership, and those businesses are often highly carbon intensive.”