World's richest 10% caused two thirds of global warming: study


The world's wealthiest 10 percent of individuals are responsible for two thirds of global warming since 1990, researchers said on Wednesday.

How the rich consume and invest has substantially increased the risk of deadly heatwaves and drought, they reported in the first study to quantify the impact of concentrated private wealth on extreme climate events.

"We link the carbon footprints of the wealthiest individuals directly to real-world climate impacts," lead author Sarah Schoengart, a scientist at ETH Zurich, told AFP.

"It's a shift from carbon accounting toward climate accountability."

Compared to the global average, for example, the richest one percent contributed 26 times more to once-a-century heatwaves, and 17 times more to droughts in the Amazon, according to the findings, published in Nature Climate Change.

Emissions from the wealthiest 10 percent in China and the United States which together account for nearly half of global carbon pollution each led to a two-to-threefold rise in heat extremes.

Burning fossil fuels and deforestation have heated Earth's average surface by 1.3 degrees Celsius, mostly during the last 30 years.

Schoengart and colleagues combined economic data and climate simulations to trace emissions from different global income groups and assess their impact on specific types of climate-enhance extreme weather.

The researchers also emphasised the role of emissions embedded in financial investment rather than just lifestyle and personal consumption.

"Climate action that doesn't address the outsized responsibilities of the wealthiest members of society risk missing one of the most powerful levers we have to reduce future harm," said senior author Carl-Friedrich Schleussner, head of the Integrated Climate Impacts Research Group at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis near Vienna.

- Billionaires tax -

Owners of capital, he noted, could be held accountable for climate impacts through progressive taxes on wealth and carbon-intensive investments.

Earlier research has shown that taxing asset-related emissions is more equitable than broad carbon taxes, which tend to burden those on lower incomes.

Recent initiatives to increase taxes on the super-rich and multinationals have mostly stalled, especially since Donald Trump regained the White House.

Last year, Brazil -- as host of the G20 -- pushed for a two-percent tax on the net worth of individuals with more than $1 billion in assets.

Although G20 leaders agreed to "engage cooperatively to ensure that ultra-high-net-worth individuals are effectively taxed," there has been no follow-up to date.

In 2021, nearly 140 countries agreed on work toward a global corporate tax for multinational companies, with nearly half endorsing a minimum rate of 15 percent, but those talks have stalled as well.

Almost a third of the world's billionaires are from the United States more than China, India and Germany combined, according to Forbes magazine.

According to anti-poverty NGO Oxfam, the richest 1 percent have accumulated $42 trillion in new wealth over the past decade.

It says the richest one percent have more wealth than the lowest 95 percent combined.

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Global trade and tariff uncertainties​ can become catalyst for reforms in India: HSBC Research


New Delhi, (IANS): Global trade and tariff uncertainties could become a catalyst for reforms in India over the medium term and for growth results, the reforms must run deep, an HSBC Research report said on Tuesday.

Potential US tariffs may have already become a catalyst for reforms like lowering import tariffs, opening up to regional FDI, fast-tracking trade deals, and making the Indian rupee more flexible.

"And India does not have to look too far for models to emulate. Its success in services exports has demonstrated the power of moving up the value chain, from basic (call centre services) to high-tech (professional services)," said the report.

India's goods trade deficit narrowed sharply in February to $14.1 billion, from $23 billion in January.

“The trade deficit tends to narrow in February but this time, it narrowed rather sharply to the lowest in more than three years,” the report mentioned.

India's goods trade deficit narrowed to $14 billion and the services trade surplus rose to $18.5 billion, putting the overall trade balance in a rare surplus zone in February.

A normalisation in imports across the board - oil, gold, and core - led to the narrowing of the goods trade deficit, the report mentioned.

Global trade and tariff uncertainty is likely to lower India's GDP growth in the short term, but could become a catalyst for reforms over the medium term; for growth results, however, reforms must run deep.

Within exports, core goods were softer, led more by weaker investment goods exports than consumer goods exports.

"This is in line with our expectation that globally, FDI and investment may be challenged in 2025, due to global uncertainty," the HSBC report noted.

Within imports, all key categories softened - oil, gold and core. Falling global oil prices lowered the oil import bill by $1.5 billion, while gold imports remained modest after a steep rise in Q4 2024.The services trade surplus remained robust at $18.5 billion. On seasonally adjusted sequential terms, services exports have been rising by an average 3 per cent for three months. Global trade and tariff uncertainties​ can become catalyst for reforms in India: HSBC Research | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com
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New study reveals the world’s most searched-for jobs

In 2019, Brother UK, the office electronics supplier, analysed a year’s worth of Google search data. The study revealed the most popular jobs worldwide, and they discussed whether culture and economy impacted careers globally.

In 2023, Brother UK conducted a new study investigating how the global job market has changed in the last three years. Brother UK wanted to determine whether a pandemic, economic uncertainties, remote/hybrid working, and AI technologies have transformed how the world searches for jobs.

The most searched-for jobs in the UK

Teaching assistant jobs are still the most searched-for in the UK. However, there are signs that interest may be waning. In 2019, over 288,000 people searched Google for teaching assistant roles. But since 2020, the average yearly searches have shrunk by 5% to 275,000.

UK search data shows that the most significant search increase in the education sector was from qualified teaching positions. While teachers still wish to continue teaching, they may consider switching schools for better career prospects.

A recent poll from the National Education Union showed that teachers were more likely to look for a promotion at another school rather than at the school where they were currently employed.

In 2019, the second and third most searched-for jobs in the UK were estate agents, with 105,700 searches and project managers, with 99,300 searches. While searches for both jobs increased, they were knocked out of the top five by a surge of interest in teaching and cabin crew jobs.

The aviation industry experienced heavy turbulence at the start of the pandemic due to fewer flights. As international travel restrictions were gradually lifted, airlines that managed to weather the storm have needed to rehire talent back into the workforce.

Photography jobs saw one of the most significant declines in UK searches. Searches for photography roles fell by 17% and failed to make the 10 most searched-for jobs in 2023. Stock image photographers are also facing steep competition from AI, which can produce photorealistic artwork cheaply.

The most searched-for jobs in the UK:

1 Teaching assistant 
2 Cleaner 
3 Teacher 
4 Cabin crew 
5 Project manager 
6 Human resources 
7 Estate agent 
8 Receptionist 
9 Graphic designer 
10 Accountant 

*Avg. yearly searches for listed jobs

The most searched-for jobs in Europe

Across the continent, human resources careers emerged as the most searched-for. However, our study revealed that there were regional variations depending on the job market in each country.

Germany saw the highest search volumes for firefighter jobs. Data from the Economic Research Institute indicates that firefighters in Germany can expect to earn around €45,931 per year. While this is slightly below Germany’s national average salary, the outlook for firefighters is positive. Over the past five years, firefighter salaries have increased by 18%, with predictions their wages will continue to grow in the coming years.

Teaching assistants emerged as the second most searched job in Europe, with most searches coming from the UK. European countries outside the UK, specifically Ireland and Germany, also saw significant growth in teaching assistant roles.

The most searched-for jobs in Europe:

1 United Kingdom Teaching Assistant 
2 Germany Firefighter 
3 Spain Airline pilot 
4 France Animator 
5 Switzerland Admin 
6 Austria Courier 
7 Belgium Nurse aide 
8 Portugal Airline pilot 
9 Cyprus Cabin crew 
10 Malta Airline pilot 

*Avg. yearly searches for listed jobs

The world’s most searched-for jobs, overall

Interest in human resources was not limited to European countries. Global job search data revealed that HR jobs were the most sought-after globally. The US led the way, with the highest volume of HR job searches in the last three years, followed by the UK and India.

There was a substantial increase in the number of job searches. Accounting jobs were identified as the second most searched in the world, seeing average yearly search volumes double, reflecting a considerable increase in demand. This is beaten by the rise in demand for graphic design roles, which tripled.

Job searches around the world:

1 Human resources 
2 Accountant 
3 Graphic designer 
4 Mechanical engineer 
5 Civil engineer 
6 Data analyst 
7 Cleaner 
8 Receptionist 
9 Teacher 
10 Journalist 

*Avg. yearly searches for listed jobs

The search for science and technology jobs

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) jobs have been in high demand, crucial for driving innovation and advancing society. In our previous study, mechanical engineering stood out as the most sought-after job within STEM and the most searched job globally.

Mechanical engineering continues to be a highly sought-after career path, with a 77% increase in average yearly searches for engineering jobs. Unsurprisingly, mechanical engineering remained the most searched-for STEM job globally, with many searches coming from South Africa, which saw an average yearly search volume of 123,730.

A standout data trend was the growing searches for careers in data analytics. Global job searches for data analytics hit a yearly average of 780,677, making the top 10 which it had failed to reach previously. The US, UK and Canada job markets were most interested in data analytics careers.

Science & Technology job searches:

1 India Civil engineer 
2 USA Data analyst 
3 UK Data analyst 
4 South Africa Mechanical engineer 
5 Canada Data analyst 


*Avg. yearly searches for listed jobs

The most caring countries

In 2019, Australia was found to be the most caring country, with Australians searching for more jobs in social care than other professions. Since 2020, little has changed. Our friends Down Under might be even more caring, with average yearly searches for social care jobs increasing by 48%.

Our job search data suggests that Mexico is among the most caring countries, with nursing being the most-searched job in Mexico.

It’s not surprising that nursing is a popular job search in Mexico. In addition to helping others, Mexican nurses receive better pay and job security than other jobs in the country. According to data from the Mexican Competitions Institute, nursing is the seventh most sought-after job in the country. Nurses can expect to be paid 34% more than the median national income.

Social care sector job searches:

1 Spain Nurse aide 
2 Australia Social worker 
3 Colombia Nurse aide 
4 Mexico Nurse 
5 France Caregiver 
6 Ireland Social worker 

*Avg. yearly searches for listed jobs

Finance-focused countries

In the last three years, several countries have been making money moves. In 2019, the top country for accounting roles was the US, and this remains unchanged. In fact, there has been a 3.2% increase in yearly searches for accounting jobs in the US.

In 2019, Canada followed closely behind their North American neighbours, ranking second as the country with the most job searches in finance. Like the USA, the average yearly searches for accountant jobs in Canada have increased by 23% in the last three years. Despite this, Canada was outpaced by noticeable increases in India and the UK.

The professional services focus on finance jobs has extended beyond India and the UK. Previously, Singapore, the UAE and Kenya also appeared in the top 10 for job searches in accountancy. Like Canada, all three countries saw search volumes for accountant jobs increase by 38%. However, they were outpaced by Germany and South Africa.

Finance sector job searches:

1 UK 
2 India 
3 USA 
4 Canada 
5 South Africa 
6 Germany 
*Avg. yearly searches for accountant/accounting jobsYou can find more information about the research here: https://www.brother.co.uk/business-solutions/worlds-most-searched-for-jobs New study reveals the world’s most searched-for jobs
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