The carbon cost of rising incomes: evidence from a middle-income country

As developing countries reduce poverty and expand their middle classes, household consumption tends to shift toward more carbon-intensive patterns. This paper examines the carbon footprint of household consumption in Colombia, one of the world’s most unequal middle-income countries, using microdata...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Gilles , Enrique, Cortes , Darwin, Monsalve Serrano, Fabio
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2026
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
Repositorio:RUIdeRA. Repositorio Institucional de la UCLM
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:ruidera_____::0d81b65fee92172d29ed60ef0dc65c70
Acceso en línea:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2026.109020
https://hdl.handle.net/10578/48367
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Colombia
Consumption-based emissions
EEMRIO
Household budget survey
Households' carbon footprint
Inequalities
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spelling The carbon cost of rising incomes: evidence from a middle-income countryGilles , EnriqueCortes , DarwinMonsalve Serrano, FabioColombiaConsumption-based emissionsEEMRIOHousehold budget surveyHouseholds' carbon footprintInequalitiesAs developing countries reduce poverty and expand their middle classes, household consumption tends to shift toward more carbon-intensive patterns. This paper examines the carbon footprint of household consumption in Colombia, one of the world’s most unequal middle-income countries, using microdata from the national household budget survey and an environmentally extended input-output framework. Results reveal a stark concentration of emissions: the top 1% of households account for nearly a quarter of total emissions, while the bottom 10% are responsible for just 0.1%. Carbon emissions are more unequallydistributed than household expenditure, underscoring the environmental implications of income inequality. We also estimate the income elasticity of emissions, finding that a 1% increase in income leads to a 0.6–0.85% increase in emissions. These findings highlight the need to integrate distributional concerns into climate policy. Without addressing the carbonconsequences of income growth, developing countries risk locking themselves into unsustainable and inequitable development trajectories.Elsevier202620262026info:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2026.109020https://hdl.handle.net/10578/48367reponame:RUIdeRA. Repositorio Institucional de la UCLMinstname:Universidad de Castilla-La ManchaInglésFP44842–220-2018info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:dnet:ruidera_____::0d81b65fee92172d29ed60ef0dc65c702026-05-27T07:36:41Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The carbon cost of rising incomes: evidence from a middle-income country
title The carbon cost of rising incomes: evidence from a middle-income country
spellingShingle The carbon cost of rising incomes: evidence from a middle-income country
Gilles , Enrique
Colombia
Consumption-based emissions
EEMRIO
Household budget survey
Households' carbon footprint
Inequalities
title_short The carbon cost of rising incomes: evidence from a middle-income country
title_full The carbon cost of rising incomes: evidence from a middle-income country
title_fullStr The carbon cost of rising incomes: evidence from a middle-income country
title_full_unstemmed The carbon cost of rising incomes: evidence from a middle-income country
title_sort The carbon cost of rising incomes: evidence from a middle-income country
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Gilles , Enrique
Cortes , Darwin
Monsalve Serrano, Fabio
author Gilles , Enrique
author_facet Gilles , Enrique
Cortes , Darwin
Monsalve Serrano, Fabio
author_role author
author2 Cortes , Darwin
Monsalve Serrano, Fabio
author2_role author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Colombia
Consumption-based emissions
EEMRIO
Household budget survey
Households' carbon footprint
Inequalities
topic Colombia
Consumption-based emissions
EEMRIO
Household budget survey
Households' carbon footprint
Inequalities
description As developing countries reduce poverty and expand their middle classes, household consumption tends to shift toward more carbon-intensive patterns. This paper examines the carbon footprint of household consumption in Colombia, one of the world’s most unequal middle-income countries, using microdata from the national household budget survey and an environmentally extended input-output framework. Results reveal a stark concentration of emissions: the top 1% of households account for nearly a quarter of total emissions, while the bottom 10% are responsible for just 0.1%. Carbon emissions are more unequallydistributed than household expenditure, underscoring the environmental implications of income inequality. We also estimate the income elasticity of emissions, finding that a 1% increase in income leads to a 0.6–0.85% increase in emissions. These findings highlight the need to integrate distributional concerns into climate policy. Without addressing the carbonconsequences of income growth, developing countries risk locking themselves into unsustainable and inequitable development trajectories.
publishDate 2026
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2026
2026
2026
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2026.109020
https://hdl.handle.net/10578/48367
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2026.109020
https://hdl.handle.net/10578/48367
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv FP44842–220-2018
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:RUIdeRA. Repositorio Institucional de la UCLM
instname:Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
instname_str Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
reponame_str RUIdeRA. Repositorio Institucional de la UCLM
collection RUIdeRA. Repositorio Institucional de la UCLM
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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