Which companies are responsible for the majority of global CO2 emissions?

In 2024, 32 fossil fuel companies were responsible for half of global CO2 emissions, with Saudi Aramco and ExxonMobil being top polluters.

How are fossil fuel companies being held accountable for climate change?

Emissions data is increasingly being used in legal cases and financial claims to hold major fossil fuel companies accountable for climate destruction.

What is the role of state-owned companies in global emissions?

State-owned fossil fuel producers made up 17 of the top 20 emitters, often from countries that opposed climate action plans.

Home / Environment / Fossil Fuels: Just 32 Firms Drive Half of Emissions

Fossil Fuels: Just 32 Firms Drive Half of Emissions

21 Jan

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Summary

32 fossil fuel companies caused 50% of global CO2 emissions in 2024.
State-owned firms are the biggest emitters, opposing climate action.
Emissions data now holds major polluters legally and financially accountable.

Fossil Fuels: Just 32 Firms Drive Half of Emissions

A stark report indicates that just 32 fossil fuel companies were responsible for half of the world's carbon dioxide emissions driving the climate crisis in 2024. This concentration of emissions highlights the growing challenge in addressing global warming.

Among these top emitters, state-owned companies, including Saudi Aramco and those linked to Russia, China, and Iran, comprised 17 of the top 20. These nations had opposed a fossil fuel phaseout at the recent Cop30 UN climate summit. ExxonMobil was identified as the largest investor-owned polluter.

Critics argue these corporations are actively sabotaging climate action and weakening governmental resolve. However, the report emphasizes that emissions data is becoming a powerful tool for accountability, underpinning legal cases and financial claims against these companies for climate-related damages and impacts.