On a global level, rich nations have a greater capacity to transition toward clean technologies and leave cheap and abundant fossil fuels in the ground. Nevertheless, the richest countries are also responsible for the lion’s share of greenhouse gas emissions, while the poorest communities are left the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
And while there are tax credits to ease the sticker shock of residential solar, the vast majority of those incentives are going to the wealthy as well. “The overwhelming majority of that money is going to wealthier people, but it's actually bypassing the people who need it most,” Win Climate’s Juan-Pablo Velez told Gothamist. Last week President Joe Biden announced a new $7 billion expansion to the Solar for All program that aims to lessen this solar wealth gap on a national level.