By Abbas Nazil
Carbon emissions from the world’s largest fossil fuel companies have been directly tied to dozens of deadly heatwaves for the first time, according to new research published in Nature.
The study found that emissions from 14 major companies, including ExxonMobil and Saudi Aramco, were individually responsible for making more than 50 heatwaves virtually inevitable.
For example, ExxonMobil’s carbon pollution alone made 51 extreme heatwaves at least 10,000 times more likely than in a world without global heating.
Researchers concluded that the emissions of 180 so-called “carbon major” companies accounted for about half of the increased intensity of 213 heatwaves studied between 2000 and 2023.
The remainder was largely driven by forest destruction.
Scientists also found that these heatwaves, which spanned every continent, became on average 200 times more likely between 2010 and 2019 due to climate change.
The average intensity rose from 1.4C in 2000–09 to 2.2C in 2020–23.
Experts said this is the first time attribution analysis has systematically connected specific climate disasters with corporate emissions, a breakthrough that could influence lawsuits and compensation claims.
Advocates argue this evidence strengthens the case for legal accountability, especially as courts like the International Court of Justice and a German high court have already ruled that failure to prevent climate harm could result in liability.
Campaigners said the findings make it possible to point directly to companies and link their emissions to real human and environmental losses.
Researchers stressed that fossil fuel companies bear particular responsibility, having pursued profit through disinformation despite decades of knowledge about the impacts of burning oil, gas, and coal.
While ExxonMobil and Saudi Aramco did not respond to requests for comment, scientists and legal experts agree the study marks a significant step toward holding polluters accountable, even though major legal challenges remain unresolved. END
