80% of Global CO2 emissions can be traced to just 57 producers, report says
A new report by InfluenceMap, titled “The Carbon Majors Database: Launch Report,” sheds light on a critical aspect of the climate crisis. It reveals a concerning concentration of greenhouse gas emissions, with a mere 57 fossil fuel and cement producers responsible for a staggering 80% of global CO2 emissions since the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2016. This translates to 251 GtCO2e (gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) – a colossal figure highlighting the outsized role a select group of corporations plays in driving climate change.
These findings align with the groundbreaking Carbon Majors Database, launched in 2013 by the Climate Accountability Institute. It paints an even starker picture, tracking the historical emissions of 122 of the world’s largest oil, gas, coal, and cement producers. The data reveals that a staggering 70% of global fossil fuel and cement CO2 emissions since the industrial revolution can be attributed to just 78 corporate and state-owned entities.
The list of top emitters includes both state-owned giants like Saudi Aramco (responsible for an estimated 5.7% of global emissions since 1751), Gazprom (4.8%), and Coal India (4.2%), alongside investor-owned companies such as ExxonMobil (3.2%), Chevron (2.2%), BP (2.1%), and Shell (1.9%).
