Majority of recent CO2 emissions linked to just 57 producers, report says
BRUSSELS: The vast majority of planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions since 2016 can be traced to a group of just 57 fossil fuels and cement producers, researchers said on Thursday (Apr 4).
From 2016 to 2022, the 57 entities including nation-states, state-owned firms and investor-owned companies produced 80 per cent of the world’s CO2 emissions from fossil fuels and cement production, said the Carbon Majors report by non-profit think tank InfluenceMap.
The world’s top three CO2-emitting companies in the period were state-owned oil firm Saudi Aramco, Russia’s state-owned energy giant Gazprom and state-owned producer Coal India, the report said.
Saudi Aramco, Coal India and Gazprom did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The report found most companies had expanded their fossil fuel production since 2015, the year when nearly all countries signed the UN Paris Agreement, committing to take action to curb climate change.
Since then, while many governments and companies have set tougher emissions targets and rapidly expanded renewable energy, they have also produced and burned more fossil fuels, causing emissions to rise.
Global energy-related CO2 emissions hit a record high last year, the International Energy Agency has said.
Source: CNA