Amsterdam, Netherlands – As Forbes releases its 2025 Billionaires List[1], Greenpeace calls for fair taxation of the super-rich and warns of the staggering concentration of wealth while global communities suffer the devastating effects of climate change and environmental destruction.
This year's list features familiar names, with tech tycoons, fossil fuel magnates, and luxury industry leaders among the biggest winners. The world's richest individuals continue to amass vast wealth, despite a worsening climate crisis and increasing economic inequality. Some of the wealthiest have direct ties to industries driving environmental destruction, from oil and gas to deforestation-linked agribusiness.
Clara Thompson, European socio-economics campaigner based at Greenpeace Germany, said: "We are experiencing a large wealth shift- but in the wrong direction: away from the many and into the hands of the few. While the richest are becoming increasingly more wealthy, they contribute proportionally less to financing the common good than the middle class. The new figures paint a stark picture: The number of billionaires has reached a record 3,028, collectively amassing a fortune of US$16.1 trillion – an increase of nearly US$2 trillion from last year. Meanwhile, governments worldwide struggle to secure funding for sustainable infrastructure and climate resilience. Instead of reinvesting their wealth in the interest of people, billionaires avoid paying their fair share in taxes, derailing critical funding from where it truly belongs."
Taxes are the backbone of public services, from education and healthcare to emergency response and sustainable development. Yet, loopholes, corporate tax breaks, and tax havens allow the ultra-rich to contribute far less than their fair share.
Clara Thompson continued: "True progress is not measured by how many billionaires exist – it's measured by whether our planet remains liveable for future generations. It's time to dismantle this broken system, where extreme wealth and political influence reinforce each other at the expense of people and nature. We know what must be done: establish robust global tax rules through the UN Tax Cooperation framework, which includes taxing the super-rich-a step supported by the global majority of people and governments. The only thing standing in the way is the political will to act."
