https://influencemap.org/briefing/The-Carbon-Majors-Database-2023-Update...
The Carbon Majors are keeping the world hooked on fossil fuels with no plans to slow production. While states drag their heels on their Paris Agreement commitments, state-owned companies are dominating global emissions—ignoring the desperate needs of their citizens. The science is clear: we cannot move backwards to more fossil fuels and more extraction. Instead, we must move forward to the many possibilities of a decarbonized economic system that works for people and the planet.
We are living at a critical moment in human history. And the alarming reality is that the world’s largest fossil fuel companies are not only increasing their emissions, but they are doing so against a backdrop of climate events that are having devastating impacts on people’s daily lives. It is essential that governments step up and use their authority to end the root cause of the crisis we find ourselves in: the expansion of fossil fuels. We urgently need to transition to more sustainable, fair and affordable economic and energy models for all, or what will be left for future generations will be a broken planet.
Carbon Majors is a database of historical production data from 180 of the world’s largest oil, gas, coal, and cement producers representing 169 active and 11 inactive entities. This data is used to quantify the direct production-linked operational emissions and emissions from the combustion of marketed products that can be attributed to these entities. The database is updated annually and is available at carbonmajors.org. This briefing presents the updated data for the 2023 reporting year. Carbon Majors has played a pivotal role in holding fossil fuel producers to account for their climate-related impacts in academic, regulatory, and legal contexts. Climate litigation examples include the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines’ inquiry into corporate responsibility for climate-related human rights violations as well as multiple lawsuits in the U.S. against major emitters (e.g., in Baltimore, Oregon, and San Francisco and Oakland).
Since the release of the Carbon Majors Database: Launch Report in April 2024, there have been several key developments in the utilization of the underlying data and the concept of climate attribution based on historical emissions. Most notably, the database is a proposed tool to assess corporate liability under New York and Vermont's Climate Superfund laws, which require major emitters to fund climate damage repairs. Researchers have also used it to quantify the role of fossil fuel companies in intensifying extreme heatwaves, while legal advocacy groups have cited it to support potential criminal charges against fossil fuel executives for reckless endangerment. Additionally, the database has been referenced in regulatory actions, such as ClientEarth’s complaint against BlackRock for misleading investors.
The Carbon Majors database traces 1,388 GtCO2e of cumulative historical emissions from 1854 through the end of 2023 to 180 industrial producers, the CO2 portion of which is equivalent to 67.5% of global fossil fuel and cement CO2 emissions since 1750. Over one third of these global CO2 emissions historically can be traced to just 26 companies.
The 2023 update includes the disaggregation of coal emissions from China, the Russian Federation, the Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan, which were previously aggregated at the national level. This new data attributes emissions to individual companies in these countries, the largest of which are state-owned. This has contributed to state-owned entities becoming the largest entity type in the database in 2023, with 22.5 GtCO2e attributed to 68 state-owned companies, equivalent to 52% of global fossil fuel and cement CO2 emissions in 2023. In comparison, 99 investor-owned companies accounted for 10.2 GtCO2e (23%) and 2 nation states were linked to 1.1 GtCO2e (3%).
The top 20 highest carbon-producing entities collectively accounted for 17.5 GtCO2e in emissions in 2023, with their CO2 emissions representing 40.8% of global fossil fuel and cement CO2 emissions. The list is dominated by state-owned entities, which make up 16 of the top 20, and includes a significant presence of Chinese entities, eight of which accounted for 17.3% of global fossil fuel and cement CO2 emissions in 2023. Coal companies also feature prominently with seven in the top 20, including six from China and one from India, highlighting Asia's continued reliance on coal.
The top 5 state-owned entities in 2023 were Saudi Aramco, Coal India, CHN Energy, National Iranian Oil Co., and Jinneng Group, and they were linked to 7.4 GtCO2e (the CO2 portion of which is equivalent to 17.4% of global fossil CO2 emissions).The top 5 investor-owned companies in 2023 were ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, TotalEnergies, and BP, and they accounted for a combined 2.2 GtCO2e (the CO2 portion of which is equivalent to 4.9% of global fossil CO2 emissions).
The analysis also found that most entities are linked to increased emissions in 2023 compared to 2022. Overall, 93 entities increased their emissions, while 73 reduced emissions and 3 maintained the same level of emissions.
In 2023, coal remained the largest source of emissions, contributing 41.1% of emissions in the database, continuing a steady increase since 2016. While coal emissions grew by 1.9% (258 MtCO₂e) since 2022, cement experienced the largest relative rise at 6.5% (82 MtCO₂e), reflecting expanding production. In contrast, natural gas emissions declined by 3.7% (164 MtCO₂e), and oil remained stable with a minimal 0.3% increase (73 MtCO₂e).
It is truly alarming that the largest fossil fuel companies continue to increase their emissions in the face of worsening natural disasters caused by climate change, disregarding scientific evidence that these emissions are harming us all. It is clearer than ever that dirty private companies, driven by profits and business as usual, will never choose to self-regulate. Governments around the world must use their power to end fossil fuel expansion and transition their economies before fossil fuel companies destroy the planet.
Global GHG emissions continue to rise, with over half of all fossil CO2 emissions coming from just 36 companies, as the latest InfluenceMap findings reveal. While a few profit-driven corporations continue to expand fossil fuel infrastructure, climate disasters are hitting hardest in regions where people have contributed the least, damaging the lives of millions and pushing us closer to unmanageable tipping points. A global turnaround is not just urgent – it’s essential, and it must start with these key players.
Introduction
Carbon Majors
Carbon Majors was first released in 20132 by Richard Heede of the Climate Accountability Institute (CAI) to trace emissions from fossil fuel and cement production back to the companies responsible. In 2024, InfluenceMap, in collaboration with CAI, updated and launched the database on a new website, carbonmajors.org. This platform ensures regular updates and increased accessibility for users.
Carbon Majors was developed to focus on the accountability of hydrocarbon producers, specifically corporations that consistently generate substantial profits from the extraction and manufacturing of products known to be the major contributors to climate change. Unlike national-level emissions databases, it is the first and only global database that aggregates emissions data by company, providing a crucial link between corporate actions and climate change-related harms. This approach has been essential for identifying and establishing the responsibility of a small group of companies whose emissions have significantly contributed to global warming.
Since 2013, Carbon Majors has been widely utilized in climate litigation and legislation, serving as a critical tool for emissions attribution. Additionally, it has found applications in academic research, as well as in regulatory and financial contexts. For instance, since the release of the Carbon Majors Database: Launch Report in April 2024, notable use cases include:
- New York and Vermont have passed Climate Superfund laws requiring fossil fuel companies responsible for significant emissions to pay into state funds for climate damage repair and adaptation. The database is a proposed tool to quantify these companies’ emissions.
- Quilcaille et al. found climate change significantly increased heatwave intensity and likelihood, with 33% of historical heatwaves being virtually impossible without anthropogenic influence. The study also quantifies the role of the Carbon Majors entities in intensifying these heatwaves, showing that emissions from these producers made up to 62 heatwaves reported between 2000 and 2022 up to 10,000 times more likely.
- A 2024 memo by Public Citizen and Fair and Just Prosecution outlines how fossil fuel companies and their CEOs could face criminal charges under New York’s reckless endangerment laws for knowingly contributing to climate disasters while misleading the public about the risks. The database serves as a key resource to support evidence of reckless conduct by major fossil fuel producers.
- ClientEarth filed a complaint against BlackRock with the French financial regulator, for misleading investors about ‘sustainable’ funds while investing in fossil fuel companies, including ExxonMobil, Shell, and BP. The database is cited to highlight these companies’ significant contribution to global emissions.
Background
In its 2023 AR6 Synthesis Report, the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated that global surface temperatures have already reached 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels (1850–1900) from 2011–2020, underscoring the urgency of immediate and deep emissions reductions. Meanwhile, the UN Emissions Gap Report 2024 reveals that despite existing climate agreements, global greenhouse gas emissions reached a record high of 57.1 GtCO₂e in 2023, a 1.3% increase from the 2022. This growth exceeds the average annual increase observed between 2010–2019 of 0.8%. Unless emissions in 2030 fall below levels inferred by current policies and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the chance of achieving the 1.5°C target will vanish, and the difficulty of limiting warming to 2°C (>66% chance) will increase dramatically. The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Net Zero by 2050 report emphasizes the need for a dramatic and immediate decline in coal, oil, and gas consumption, yet the fossil fuel industry continues to expand. In 2023, global CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels reached a record high of 37.8 GtCO₂, up 1.3% from 20221.
