China tops a list of the world's most polluting companies and states. The Carbon Majors report shows that most polluters have expanded their production operations since the Paris Agreement.

Following the signing of the Paris Agreement, between 2016 and 2022, 80% of global CO2 emissions can be attributed to just 57 fossil fuel producing entities, both corporate and state-owned, reveals a report of the British research center InfluenceMap on Thursday.

The database classifies entities into three types: investor-owned companies, state-owned companies and nation states. Historically, investor-owned companies are responsible for 31% of all emissions recorded in the database (440 GtCO2e), with Chevron, ExxonMobil and BP being the three largest contributors, respectively.

According to the newspaper BusinessIn addition, state-owned companies account for 33% of the database total (465 GtCO2e), with Saudi Aramco, Gazprom and the National Iranian Oil Company being the largest contributors. Nation states account for the remaining 36% (516 GtCO2e), with coal production in China and the former Soviet Union being the largest contributors.

Out of a total of 117 entities in the Carbon Majors database, with accounting between 1854 and 2022, China tops the list, contributing 14% of emissions. It is followed by the former Soviet Union (6.82%), Saudi Arabia (3.63%), Chevron (2.98%) and ExxonMobil (2.79%), in what will be the top 5 of the list.

"Carbon Majors' investigation shows us exactly who is responsible for the lethal heat, extreme weather and air pollution that is threatening lives and wreaking havoc on our oceans and forests. These companies have made billions of dollars in profits while denying the problem and delaying and obstructing climate policy," comments Tzeporah Berman, president of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The Carbon Majors database finds that the majority of state-owned and investor-owned companies have expanded their production operations since the Paris Agreement. In particular, 58 out of 100 companies were linked to higher emissions in the seven years after the Paris Agreement than in the same period before. This increase is most pronounced in Asia, where 13 out of 15 (87%) companies assessed are linked to higher emissions in 2016-2022 than in 2009-2015, and in the Middle East, where this figure is 7 out of 10 companies (70%).

In Europe, 13 out of 23 companies (57%), in South America, 3 out of 5 (60%) companies, and in Australia, 3 out of 4 (75%) companies are linked to an increase in emissions, as are 3 out of 6 (50%) African companies. North America is the only region where a minority of companies, 16 out of 37 (43%), have been linked to increased emissions.

Analysis of Carbon Majors data shows that in the seven years since the Paris Agreement, there has been a gradual shift in coal supply from investor-owned companies to state-controlled entities.

According to the International Energy Agency, global coal consumption will increase by almost 8% between 2015 and 2022, reaching an all-time high of 8.3 billion tons in 2022. This study concludes that between 2015 and 2022, CO2 emissions associated with investor-owned coal production decreased by 28%, while CO2 emissions associated with coal production by public companies and national states increased by 29% and 19%, respectively.

These entities "are spending millions on advertising campaigns about being part of a sustainable solution, while continuing to invest in extracting more fossil fuels. These findings underline that, more than ever, we need our governments to stand up to these companies and we need new international cooperation through a Fossil Fuel Treaty to stop the expansion of fossil fuels and ensure a truly just transition," argues Tzeporah Berman.