Radical change can lead to a fairer and greener world, says new report

A significant new study challenges the common narrative that improved living standards, reduced working hours, and a sustainable climate are mutually exclusive goals. Instead, it presents these objectives as interconnected elements of a unified future—provided that the global community addresses extreme inequality head-on.

Traditionally, discussions around climate change have been framed as a stark choice: either continue the current path of relentless consumption and emissions risking planetary instability, or enforce drastic cutbacks that many fear will reduce the quality of life for ordinary people. However, the latest report from the World Inequality Lab introduces an alternative vision. It suggests that by the end of this century, it is possible to elevate living standards for the majority, drastically reduce inequality, and maintain global temperature increases below 2°C.

This ambitious framework, outlined in the Global Justice Report released recently, proposes a comprehensive reorganization of the world economy through to 2100. The report’s core argument revolves around the concept of “sufficiency” rather than endless material growth. This includes embracing shorter working hours, enhancing public health and education, transitioning to cleaner energy, adopting sustainable diets, protecting land, and significantly narrowing the wealth gap. The model predicts that average monthly incomes could equalize at around €5,000 (£4,250) per person worldwide by 2100, which involves accelerated progress in poorer regions and moderated growth in wealthier countries. Despite slower economic expansion in rich nations, many would experience increased wellbeing due to fairer income distribution and more leisure time.

One of the report’s most notable recommendations is a steep reduction in annual working hours—from roughly 2,100 per worker today to about 1,000 by 2100—continuing a historic trend dating back to the 19th century. Beyond working less for its own sake, the goal is to redirect efforts toward sectors like care, education, health, and culture, all of which tend to have lower carbon footprints. The study also links these changes to advancing gender equality, with expectations of equal pay and balanced shares of paid and domestic labor between men and women. Achieving climate targets in this vision requires rapid decarbonization, shifting energy systems away from fossil fuels towards renewable and low-carbon sources by mid-century. The report emphasizes that technology alone is insufficient to meet these goals; shifts in consumption habits, land use, and inequality reduction are critical for financing and political sustainability.

To facilitate these transformative shifts, the report proposes the creation of a Global Justice Fund, supported by a wealth tax and high-income tax on the richest 1% globally. This fund would finance climate action, health, education, and direct country-level dividends, particularly targeting poorer nations. The fund’s average annual spending is projected to reach 10.3% of global GDP from 2026 to 2060, a stark contrast to the current spending of under 0.4% by international aid and development institutions combined. Addressing wealth disparities is central to the report’s logic: it forecasts the bottom half of the global population increasing their share of total wealth from 2% to 30%, while billionaires’ share shrinks dramatically from 6% to just 0.05%. The authors emphasize that this redistribution is essential not only for fairness but because the wealthiest have greatly benefited from carbon-heavy growth and control substantial resources necessary for the energy transition.

Commenting on the report in the Guardian, authors including Thomas Piketty and Lucas Chancel described the strategy as “radical,” stressing that the alternative is to accept escalating inequality, climate breakdown, and political instability. They highlighted that the main barrier is political will, not technical feasibility. Acknowledging the immense political challenges ahead—given that such reforms would face opposition from those who benefit most—the report underscores the necessity for widespread coalition-building, social movements, and legislative efforts. Ultimately, it offers a hopeful counterpoint to despair by demonstrating that climate safety and improved lives are achievable together, with equality playing a fundamental role in resolving the environmental crisis

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