1. Ten entities, including oil majors Shell and ExxonMobil, are responsible for 40% of historic fossil fuel CO₂ emissions.
2. These entities have produced approximately 700 gigatonnes of CO₂ since the start of the Industrial Revolution.
3. The top three groups contributing to emissions include investor-owned companies, state-owned companies, and nation-states, with emissions almost evenly split historically.
A new analysis reveals that just ten single entities, including oil majors such as Shell and ExxonMobil, are responsible for 40% of historic fossil fuel CO₂ emissions. These entities have produced approximately 700 gigatonnes of CO₂ since the start of the Industrial Revolution. The Carbon Majors database, hosted by non-profit InfluenceMap, provided this updated data, excluding fugitive emissions from methane. Total historic CO₂ emissions amount to roughly 1,700 gigatonnes, according to the Global Carbon Project.
The database includes 1,421 gigatonnes of cumulative historical emissions from 1854 through 2022, looking at 122 industrial producers. These emissions make up almost three-quarters of global fossil fuel and cement emissions since 1751. InfluenceMap categorizes entities into three types: investor-owned companies, state-owned companies, and nation-states. The top two national entities in terms of emissions are China, specifically its coal production, and the former Soviet Union.
Significantly, more than 70% of cumulative global CO₂ emissions can be attributed to just 78 corporate and state-producing entities. Just 57 oil, gas, coal, and cement producers can be directly linked to 80% of global fossil CO₂ released since the signing of the 2016 Paris climate agreement.