One study A recent study by 'Carbon Majors' reveals a grim panorama of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions since the signing of the Paris Agreement. Since the agreement was adopted, it is estimated that around 80% of CO2 emissions are caused by the operations of just 57 companies.
Daan Van Acker, director of the InfluenceMap platform, insists the data is a clear indication of the fossil fuel industry's responsibility in climate change, highlighting that “a small group of companies” are responsible for the majority of CO2 emissions. Increases in temperature and triggers climate change on the planet.
The report also points out that in the past seven years, since the signing of the Paris Agreement, humanity has released a dangerous 251 gigatons of CO2 into the atmosphere. During this period, most fossil fuel companies increased their production, further contributing to emissions from that industry, with particular growth seen in Asia.
Tzeporah Berman, Stand.earth's international program director and head of the Fossil Fuel Ban Treaty, says the data reveals exactly who is responsible for the extreme weather and pollution that threatens lives and wreaks havoc on the planet.
“These companies have made billions of dollars in profits while denying the problem and delaying and blocking climate policy. “They spend millions on advertising campaigns about being part of a sustainable solution, while continuing to invest in more fossil fuel extraction,” he highlights.
The report identifies private and state-owned companies as the top polluters in history, along with Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP, Shell and ConocoPhillips, Saudi Aramco, Gazprom, Iran's national oil company Coal India and Pemex. A significant percentage of historical CO2 emissions.
The report also highlights the responsibility of European companies, with most major CO2-emitting companies estimated to have increased their emissions since the Paris Agreement.
Carol Muffett, president and CEO of the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), insists that this data should be used as a tool to hold large historical emitters accountable, highlighting the importance of legal action.
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