The 20 Most Polluting Companies in the World
The 20 most polluting companies in the world have been revealed. Researchers have found that just 20 different state–owned and multinational companies drive the climate emergency that threatens humanity. Although these firms are conscious of their industry’s devastating impact on the planet, they have continued to expand their operations and spread misinformation and disinformation about that impact.
According to research published in 2017 by Peter Frumhoff at the Union of Concerned Scientists in the U.S. and colleagues, CO2 and methane emissions from the 90 biggest industrial carbon producers were responsible for almost half the rise in global temperature and close to a third of the sea level rise between 1880 and 2010.
These companies and their products are substantially responsible for the climate emergency, have collectively delayed national and global action for decades, and can no longer hide behind the smokescreen that consumers are the responsible parties.
The tragedy of the climate crisis is that seven and a half billion people must pay the price—in the form of a degraded planet—so that a couple of dozen polluting interests can continue to make record profits. It is a great moral failing of our political system that has allowed this to happen.
The research by Richard Heede at the Climate Accountability Institute (CAI) in the U.S., the world’s leading authority on big oil’s role in the escalating climate emergency, evaluates what the global corporations have extracted from the ground, and the subsequent emissions these fossil fuels are responsible for since 1965—the point at which experts say the environmental impact of fossil fuels was known by both industry leaders and politicians.
The History of Environmental Pollution Tracking in the U.S.
In November 1965, then U.S. President Lyndon Johnson, released a report authored by the Environmental Pollution Panel of the President’s Science Advisory Committee, which set out the likely impact of continued fossil fuel production on global heating.
The year 1965 was chosen as the start point for this new data because recent research had revealed that by that stage the environmental impact of fossil fuels was known by industry leaders and politicians, particularly in the U.S.
In the same year, the president of the American Petroleum Institute (API) explicitly referred to President Johnson’s report during the organization’s annual meeting by stating that the report predicted that carbon dioxide was being added to the Earth’s atmosphere by the burning of coal, oil and natural gas at such a rate that by the year 2000 the heat balance would be so modified as to cause marked changes in climate beyond local or even national efforts.
Moral, Legal and Financial Responsibility
Heede’s research shows that just 20 companies have contributed to 35% of all energy–related carbon dioxide and methane worldwide, totaling 480 billion tonnes (metric tons) of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) since 1965. The data shows how fossil fuel companies have driven climate crisis despite industry knowing dangers: read half a century of dither and denial—a climate crisis timeline.
This new data from world–renowned researchers reveals how this cohort of state–owned and multinational firms are driving the climate emergency that threatens the future of humanity, and details how they have continued to expand their operations despite being aware of the industry’s devastating impact on the planet.
The 20 fossil fuel companies whose relentless exploitation of the world’s oil, gas and coal reserves can be directly linked to more than one–third of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the modern era. These big corporate polluters reject responsibility for the climate crisis.
They claim they are not directly responsible for how the oil, gas or coal they extract is used by consumers; they simply serve a human demand. They dispute claims that the environmental impact of fossil fuels was known as far back as the late 1950s (some scientists even argue this knowledge goes back to the 1920s).
PetroChina has even claimed that it is a separate company from its predecessor, China National Petroleum, and so had no influence over, or responsibility for, its historical emissions.
In direct contradiction of the evidence that leading companies and industry associations were aware of, or willfully ignored, the threat of climate change from continued use of their products since as early as the 1950s.They also deny that the industry collectively had worked to delay action.
But let us not forget, they also spend billions lobbying governments and investors every year, showing off their “green credentials” (read greenwash). Many of the top polluters spend billions each year lobbying governments and presenting themselves as environmentally friendly.
Lobbying To Block Climate Change Policies
A recent study revealed that the largest five stock–market–listed oil and gas majors—ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, BP and Total—now spend about $200 million (£153 million) a year lobbying to delay, control or block policies addressing climate change. And on branding campaigns suggesting they support action against climate change. The latest data builds on previous work by the CAI.
Chevron, BP and ExxonMobil were the main companies leading the field in direct lobbying to push against a climate policy to tackle the climate crisis. Increasingly they are using social media to successfully push their agenda to weaken and oppose any meaningful legislation.
In the run–up to the U.S. midterm elections in 2022 $2 million was spent on targeted Facebook and Instagram ads by global oil giants, promoting the benefits of increased fossil fuel production, according to a report by Edward Collins published in InfluenceMap.
The report analyzed corporate spending on lobbying, briefing and advertising, and assessed what proportion was dedicated to climate issues. It shows that separately, BP and Chevron donated $13 million to a campaign that successfully stopped a carbon tax in Washington State—$1 million of which was spent on social media ads.
This discrepancy between oil majors’ words and their actions sounds increasingly hollow and puts their credibility on the line. They publicly support climate action while lobbying against policy. They advocate low–carbon solutions but those investments are infinitesimal when compared with their spending on expanding fossil fuel operations.
Collins’ report shows these campaigns are misleading the public about the extent of the oil companies’ actions because while publicly endorsing the need to act, they are privately massively increasing investment in a huge expansion of oil and gas extraction. In 2019 their spending increased to $115 billion, with just 3% of that directed at low–carbon projects.
After the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015 most of the 20 biggest polluter integrated oil and gas companies explicitly said they accept the climate science and some claimed to support a price on carbon and formed groups like the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) which promote voluntary measures to meet the targets set out in the Paris Agreement to reduce emissions and keep global temperature rises to 1.5°C above pre–industrial levels.
After Collins’ report was published, Shell said in a statement: “We firmly reject the premise of [Collins’] report. We are very clear about our support for the Paris agreement, and the steps that we are taking to help meet society’s needs for more and cleaner energy.
We make no apology for talking to policymakers and regulators around the world to make our voice heard on crucial topics such as climate change and how to address it.”
Chevron said it disagreed with the report’s findings. “Chevron is taking prudent, cost–effective actions and is committed to working with policymakers to design balanced and transparent greenhouse gas emissions reductions policies that address environmental goals and ensure consumers have access to affordable, reliable and ever cleaner energy.”
The successful lobbying and direct opposition to policy measures to tackle global warming have hindered governments globally in their efforts to implement policies. The fact that they put money into denial rather than investing in renewable energy is evidence of their true intent. Heede’s and Collins’ research aims to hold to account those companies most responsible for carbon emissions.
“Oil, gas, and coal executives derail progress and offer platitudes when their vast capital, technical expertise, and moral obligation should enable rather than thwart the shift to a low–carbon future.”
Richard Heede
Why There Has Been No Action
In 2018, the United Nations (UN) issued a warning that the world had just 12 years to prevent the worst effects of global warming and restrict temperature rises to 1.5° C above pre–industrial levels. Yet people and investment funds are still supporting the biggest corporate polluters.
The problem is that these companies are highly profitable in money terms, so they still attract a lot of investors and capital, which helps them expand their operations. There has been some investor backlash against these environmental polluters. Some investment funds have declared they will no longer support funds that have so–called “dirty firms” on their books.
Those identified range from investor–owned firms—household names such as Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP and Shell—to state–owned companies including Saudi Aramco and Gazprom. Chevron topped the list of the eight investor–owned corporations, followed closely by Exxon, BP and Shell. Together these four global businesses are behind more than 10% of the world’s carbon emissions since 1965.
Twelve of the top 20 companies are state–owned and together their extractions are responsible for 20% of total emissions in the same period. The leading state–owned polluter is Saudi Aramco, which has singlehandedly produced 4.38% of the global total.
The Worst of the Worst
The global polluters list uses company–reported annual production of oil, natural gas, and coal and then calculates how much of the carbon and methane in the produced fuels is emitted to the atmosphere throughout the supply chain, from extraction to end use.
It found that 90% of the emissions attributed to the top 20 climate culprits was from use of their products, such as petrol, jet fuel, natural gas, and thermal coal. One–tenth came from extracting, refining, and delivering the finished fuels. The top 20 global polluters are all in the fossil fuel industry, and they are:
- Saudi Aramco: 59.26 billion tonnes (of carbon dioxide poured into the atmosphere since 1965)
- Chevron: 43.35 billion tonnes
- PJSC Gazprom: 43.23 billion tonnes
- ExxonMobil: 41.90 billion tonnes
- National Iranian Oil Co.: 35.66 billion tonnes
- BP: 34.02 billion tonnes
- Royal Dutch Shell: 31.95 billion tonnes
- Coal India: 23.12 billion tonnes
- Pemex: 22.65 billion tonnes
- Petróleros de Venezuela (PDVSA): 15.75 billion tonnes
- PetroChina: 15.63 billion tonnes
- Peabody Energy: 15.39 billion tonnes
- ConocoPhillips: 15.23 billion tonnes
- Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC): 13.84 billion tonnes
- Kuwait Petroleum Corp.: 13.48 billion tonnes
- Iraq National Oil Co.: 12.60 billion tonnes
- Total SA: 12.35 billion tonnes
- Sonatrach: 12.30 billion tonnes
- BHP Billiton: 9.80 billion tonnes
- Petrobras: 8.68 billion tonnes
The generation born in the 21st Century is now entering the workforce and will be the leading legislators, investors, and consumers in the next decade or so. Actively lying and lobbying to protect their polluting ways will not be palatable for future generations. It is also appalling governance.
Organizations like the CAI want to hold big polluters accountable, but also leverage this accountability by carbon producers into using their skills, capital, and resources to aid rather than oppose the transition to a low–carbon or zero–carbon energy future.
These companies have significant moral, financial, and legal obligations and burdens related to the climate crisis. The fossil fuel companies have their collective hand on the throttle and the tiller determining the rate of carbon emissions and the shift to non–carbon fuels.
Sources:
Big polluters’ share prices fall after climate lawsuits, study finds
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/22/big-polluters-share-prices-fall-climate-lawsuits-fossil-fuels-study
by Isabella Kaminski Mon 22 May 2023
Corporations are some of the worst polluters. This California bill keeps them honest
https://calmatters.org/environment/climate-change/2023/03/corporate-accountability-climate-transparency/
BY GUEST COMMENTARY MARCH 24, 2023
The 20 most polluting companies in the world
https://www.thecorporategovernanceinstitute.com/insights/news-analysis/the-20-most-polluting-companies-in-the-world-esg/
by Stephen Conmy on Apr 4, 2023
Largest corporate toxic air polluters in the United States in 2020, based on toxic score (in millions)*
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1043907/largest-us-corporate-toxic-air-polluters/
Published by Ian Tiseo, Feb 6, 2023
Revealed: the 20 firms behind a third of all carbon emissions
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/09/revealed-20-firms-third-carbon-emissions
by Matthew Taylor and Jonathan Watts, Wed 9 Oct 2019 07.00 EDT
Ad campaigns hide investment in a huge expansion of oil and gas extraction, says InfluenceMap
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/mar/22/top-oil-firms-spending-millions-lobbying-to-block-climate-change-policies-says-report
Sandra Laville Thu 21 Mar 2019 20.01 EDT