Just 57 firms linked to 80% of fossil fuel emissions since 2016

A mere 57 oil, gas, coal and cement producers are directly linked to 80% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions since the 2016 Paris climate agreement, a study has shown.

- Jonathan Watts

This powerful cohort of state-controlled corporations and shareholder-owned multinationals are the leading drivers of the climate crisis, according to the Carbon Majors Database, which is compiled by world-renowned researchers.

Governments pledged in Paris to cut greenhouse gases, but the analysis reveals most mega-producers increased their output of fossil fuels and related emissions in the seven years after that climate deal compared with the seven years before.

In the database of 122 of the biggest historical climate polluters, the researchers found 65% of state entities and 55% of private sector companies had scaled up production.