The pollution caused by the activities of individual corporations outweighs the emissions of most countries in the world. According to the Carbon Major report, only 32 fossil fuel extraction companies will be responsible for half of the world's CO2 emissions in 2024.
According to The Guardian, a year earlier there were 36 such companies. This may indicate a concentration of production in the hands of a smaller number of companies amid an overall increase in fossil fuel extraction.
Damage at the level of entire states
The largest state-owned polluter is Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia's national oil company. Among private polluters, the American oil corporation ExxonMobil is the most harmful to the Earth.
If Saudi Aramco were a country, it would rank fifth among the world's largest polluters, behind Russia. Its carbon emissions amounted to 1.7 billion tonnes of CO2. ExxonMobil is slightly "more modest". With its 610 million tonnes of CO2, it would rank ninth in the anti-environmental rating, ahead of South Korea.
Sabotage at the international level
Among the top 20 biggest polluters in the world, 17 companies belong to states. This puts considerable pressure on international efforts to green the energy sector, as it is these states that are boycotting the fight against global warming.
At the UN Climate Change Conference COP30, delegates were asked to agree on a gradual plan to phase out fossil fuels. All 17 countries that own the largest polluting oil companies refused to do so. These countries include Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, the United Arab Emirates, India and Iran.
"This latest analysis confirms a harsh reality: a powerful, concentrated group of corporations operating in the fossil fuel sector not only dominates global emissions, but also actively sabotages climate change action and undermines the ambitions of governments," said Tsepora Berman of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative.
Emissions as evidence of crime
Analytical reports are increasingly being used as evidence in court cases against extractive corporations. Data from the Carbon Major database has made it possible to link these companies' emissions to deadly heat waves and calculate the economic damage. A separate study found that specific companies have caused trillions of dollars in damage to the global economy. This refers to costs associated with extreme heat and measures to combat it.
A series of lawsuits against corporations demand funding for measures to protect citizens from extreme weather events caused by climate change. Data from Carbon Major helped build the case for lawsuits in Germany and the United States.
"The evidence is mounting. The UN International Court of Justice and courts around the world are increasingly linking fossil fuel production and climate destruction, making it clear that major polluters must phase out fossil fuels and pay for the damage," said Rebecca Brown, director of the Centre for International Environmental Law.
Тhe United States is attempting to provoke a global retreat from green energy. As EcoPolicy has reported, under Trump’s administration, the country consistently exerted pressure on the wind and solar energy sectors. After gaining control over Venezuela, top United States officials have openly declared their intentions to develop its oil fields and control fuel sales.
Despite these actions, the share of renewables in global energy continues to rise, achieving new records. Notably, in 2025, for the first time in history, the amount of "clean" energy generated exceeded that of "dirty" energy.
