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https://www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/29/news/carbon-emissions-fossil-fuel-firms>
"Just 32 fossil fuel companies were responsible for half the global carbon
dioxide emissions driving the climate crisis in 2024, down from 36 a year
earlier, a report has revealed.
Saudi Aramco was the biggest state-controlled polluter and ExxonMobil was the
largest investor-owned polluter. Critics accused the leading fossil fuel
companies of “sabotaging climate action” and “being on the wrong side of
history,” but said the emissions data was increasingly being used to hold the
companies accountable.
State-owned fossil fuel producers made up 17 of the top 20 emitters in the
Carbon Majors report, which the authors said underscored the political
barriers to tackling global heating. All 17 are controlled by countries that
opposed a proposed fossil fuel phaseout at the Cop30 UN climate summit in
December, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, Iran, the United Arab Emirates
and India. More than 80 other nations had backed the phaseout plan.
Saudi Aramco was responsible for 1.7bn tonnes of CO₂, much of it from exported
oil. If it were a country, Aramco would be the world’s fifth highest carbon
polluter, just behind Russia. ExxonMobil’s fossil fuel production led to 610m
tonnes of CO₂ — it would be the ninth highest polluter, ahead of South Korea.
Since a blip during the COVID-19 pandemic, continued fossil fuel burning has
led to carbon emissions resuming their annual rise to record levels each year.
Emissions would have to fall by 45 per cent by 2030 to meet the Paris
agreement’s goal of 1.5 C, a target now seen as impossible. But limiting the
overshoot is vital, say experts, as every fraction of a degree of heating
worsens the climate impacts on communities.
Emmett Connaire, of the think tank InfluenceMap, who led the report, said:
“Each year, global emissions become increasingly concentrated among a shrinking
group of high-emitting producers, while overall production continues to grow.”"
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
