Persistent underexposure of high-income groups to extreme climate events in Europe over the 21st century

Human-induced greenhouse gas emissions are responsible for the rise in global temperatures and changes in the frequency, intensity, and spatial extension of extreme climate events. These climate changes pose significant social challenges and are projected to exacerbate existing economic inequalities. Despite numerous studies assessing the distributive impacts of climate change, there are only a few focusing on exposure, an important dimension of climate risk. Using a new high-resolution gridded dataset of per capita disposable income, we explore the evolution of income-based inequalities in exposure to extreme events related to 5 hazards: heatwaves, cold spells, wilfires, coastal and riverine flooding. Considering both warming scenarios and alternative development pathways, our results show that, high-income groups within countries remain mostly underexposed to extreme events, exhibiting average exposure levels lower than those experienced by low-income groups over the 21st century. This work highlights the existence of climate inequalities in Europe and offers valuable insights for policymakers seeking to design fair climate adaptation strategies.