Close
Search
Menu Menu
[gtranslate]

57 companies linked to 80% of GHG emissions since 2016

Credit: Thred
By
London, UK
0 comments
0 comments

A report from the Carbon Majors Database reveals that a mere 57 companies have been responsible for 80% of global GHG emissions since 2016.

Disclaimer: This update is not intended to create a sense of nihilism or apathy regarding attitudes towards civil action and the mitigation of climate change.

We prefer to pontificate that transparency is the key to ultimately holding offenders responsible. So, with that in mind, let’s bear witness to the latest revelations.

The Carbon Majors Database has published a new report stating that just 57 companies are linked to as much as 80% of GHG emissions generated since 2016. Why 2016, you ask? Because that was the year that the Paris Agreement was formally established.

It’s no secret that oil barons, both state and corporate-owned, are the key driver of anthropogenic climate change, but the data shows that this cohort of mega-emitters significantly scaled up their output immediately after the green reform was drawn up.

In the seven years since, ExxonMobil has been public enemy number one – linked to 3.6 gigatons of CO2, equivalent to 1.4% of all emissions globally. Close behind were Shell, BP, Chevron, and TotalEnergies who were each responsible for another 1% respectively.

The report’s most notable trend is the drastic upturn in emissions from state-owned producers since 2016, particularly in the Asian coal sector. You can zero in on the specifics of nations and industries on Influence Map, which was established in 2013.

If you’re after one major summation to take from this, however, it’s that the fossil fuel industry never had any intention of honouring the terms of the Paris Agreement. Make no mistake, our present lack of progress is largely attributable to the entities listed.

While any lack of sustainable progress was previously easy to conceal, though, the future will require many of these companies to own their stance brazenly and deal with the consequences.

In 2023, a non-profit organisation called International Reporting Standards Foundation released climate-related disclosure standards.

These provide governments, investors, and – most importantly – the public with a detailed overview of how companies are performing in terms of their sustainable rehabilitations.

Thanks to these efforts and other online resources, the greenwashing tactics of corporations can be unearthed quicker than a barrel of crude oil. Frothy PR campaigns talking of social responsibility won’t fly when easily accessible data underscores the grim reality.

We will be among thousands of others closely watching the progress – or lack thereof – of the 57 companies identified in the coming years.

We’re hopeful that the efforts of Influence Map and Carbon Majors Data won’t be in vain, but we’re not exactly holding our breath. Either way, we’ll be stockpiling our evidence from transparency reports.

The onus to change cannot be placed on civilians and individual action when the practices of a few greedy outfits brought us here to begin with. The same cohort is now scuppering efforts to turn the tide.

Tech Editor London, UK

I’m Jamie (He/Him), the Editor in Chief at Thred. Keeping up with gaming and revolutionary technology is my forte, but when away from my keyboard, you’ll probably find me wrapped around a large Tango ice blast at the latest mediocre horror flick. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.

Popular

Keep up with thred by signing up to our planet-positive newsletter!

More from thred.

COP29 summit Azerbaijan: live coverage
Credit: Thred
Planet

COP29 summit Azerbaijan: live coverage

The 29th iteration of the Conference of the Parties is now underway in Baku, Azerbaijan. Over the next two weeks, we’ll bring you the essential information from each thematic day. Will national delegates make a genuine impact, or are we looking at another greenwashing fest? We’re back for yet another Conference of the Parties. Some 67,000 global leaders, delegates, journalists, and fossil fuel lobbyists – let’s face it – have all...

By and
The global financial deadlock at COP29 must be confronted
Credit: Pexels
Planet

The global financial deadlock at COP29 must be confronted

As the world teeters on the brink of a climate catastrophe, the stakes at COP29 have never been higher and leaders must reckon with the urgency of implementing tangible action. For decades, international climate conferences have been long on rhetoric and short on meaningful action. The current negotiations in Baku have highlighted a stark divide between developing nations and emerging economies requiring $1.3 trillion annually in climate...

By Delhi, India
Lesego Chombo becomes Gen Z minister in Botswana
Credit: Lesego Chombo/Instagram
People

Lesego Chombo becomes Gen Z minister in Botswana

The newly sworn-in Botswana President Duma Boko has appointed 26-year-old Lesego Chombo as the Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs. The former pageant becomes one of the youngest cabinet members in Botswana’s history and Africa. The 26-year-old Lesego Chombo's cabinet appointment has signaled a fresh wave of leadership under Boko’s new administration in Botswana. The new government, during its campaigns, pledged to prioritize youth representation, gender equity and progressive policies when...

By Nairobi, Kenya
University tuition rise is alienating UK youth
Credit: Thred
People

University tuition rise is alienating UK youth

Keir Starmer's government increases university tuition fees for the first time in almost a decade, from £9,250 to around £9,500. Young people across the nation are frustrated over the new rise in university tuition fees, from £9,250 to £9,535. This is the first-time tuition fees have risen since being frozen under the Tory’s in 2017. Labour has announced an increase in fees, aligning with the current Retail Price Index inflation rate of...

By London, England
Accessibility