000151649 001__ 151649 000151649 005__ 20251017144622.0 000151649 0247_ $$2doi$$a10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102545 000151649 0248_ $$2sideral$$a143214 000151649 037__ $$aART-2025-143214 000151649 041__ $$aeng 000151649 100__ $$aNockur, Laila 000151649 245__ $$aThe misperception of carbon footprints of the rich and the poor 000151649 260__ $$c2025 000151649 5060_ $$aAccess copy available to the general public$$fUnrestricted 000151649 5203_ $$aNot everyone contributes to climate change to the same extent. While huge inequalities exist in consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions, we show (using a large representative sample, N = 1002) that US residents are largely unaware of the substantial carbon inequality within their country. In fact, 95% of respondents underestimate the carbon footprint of the top 1% consumers. At the same time, people wish for a more equal distribution of carbon footprints. These results were replicated in two independent samples (total N = 1455) and emerged across a range of demographic variables and climate change beliefs. Finally, in two experimental studies (total N = 2408), we demonstrate that learning about carbon inequality increased support for carbon taxes. Overall, the present paper shows that people substantially misperceive the carbon footprint of top consumers. Educating people about carbon inequality leads to support for legislative measures that aim to address overconsumption. 000151649 540__ $$9info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess$$aby$$uhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.es 000151649 655_4 $$ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/article$$vinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 000151649 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0001-5979-4528$$aPirla, Sergio$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000151649 700__ $$aPfattheicher, Stefan 000151649 7102_ $$14012$$2650$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. Direcc.Organiza.Empresas$$cÁrea Organización de Empresas 000151649 773__ $$g102 (2025), 102545 [8 pp.]$$pJ. environ. psychol.$$tJOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY$$x0272-4944 000151649 787__ $$tOSF Repository$$whttps://osf.io/xq3sj/ 000151649 8564_ $$s1692372$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/151649/files/texto_completo.pdf$$yVersión publicada 000151649 8564_ $$s2702307$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/151649/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon$$xicon$$yVersión publicada 000151649 909CO $$ooai:zaguan.unizar.es:151649$$particulos$$pdriver 000151649 951__ $$a2025-10-17-14:22:15 000151649 980__ $$aARTICLE