By Abdullahi Lukman
Just 36 companies are responsible for half of the world’s climate-heating carbon emissions, stemming from the fossil fuels they produce, a new report has revealed.
The 2023 data, compiled by InfluenceMap, strengthens the case for holding these fossil fuel companies accountable for their contribution to global heating.
The report identifies 36 major fossil fuel companies, including Saudi Aramco, Coal India, ExxonMobil, and Shell, as producing coal, oil, and gas responsible for over 20 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2023.
To put this in perspective, if Saudi Aramco were a country, it would be the fourth-largest polluter globally, and ExxonMobil’s emissions are comparable to Germany’s.
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Despite the internationally agreed target to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C, requiring a 45 percent reduction in global emissions by 2030, emissions continue to rise.
The International Energy Agency has stated that new fossil fuel projects initiated after 2021 are incompatible with achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Christiana Figueres, former UN climate chief, emphasizes the need to move away from fossil fuels towards a decarbonized economic system.
Emmett Connaire of InfluenceMap highlights the increasing production and emissions by a small group of major fossil fuel producers, despite global climate commitments.
The Carbon Majors data has been used in legal cases and regulatory actions against fossil fuel companies, seeking compensation for climate damages.
The report also includes historical emissions data, showing that two-thirds of carbon emissions from fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution are attributable to 180 companies.
