Just 14 companies responsible for more than 50 extreme events, new study finds
A groundbreaking study in Nature has revealed that the world’s largest fossil fuel companies are directly responsible for intensifying hundreds of heatwaves this century, events that have killed more than half a million people worldwide.
The research, published on September 10, traced the emissions of 180 fossil fuel and cement producers dubbed “carbon majors” and found that just 14 companies caused over 50 deadly heatwaves across 63 countries between 2000 and 2023.
Heatwaves with a corporate fingerprint
Scientists examined 213 heatwaves, including the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome in the U.S. and the 2023 European heatwaves, and for the first time linked these disasters directly to individual companies. Among the top polluters are Saudi Aramco, Gazprom, ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP, and Shell.
The study warns that half of all global warming can be attributed to these 180 companies, with the top 14 alone responsible for emissions equal to all the others combined.
The science of deadly heat
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has long warned that human-driven climate change has amplified the frequency and severity of heatwaves since the 1950s. Now, scientists stress that every heatwave today is made stronger and deadlier by climate change.
Extreme heat undermines the body’s ability to cool itself, dramatically increasing the risk of heatstroke and other fatal illnesses. According to the study, thousands die each year as a direct result.
Liability and legal reckoning
“This is the first time we can scientifically connect specific heatwaves to specific companies,” said Richard Heede of the Climate Accountability Institute, one of the lead authors. “The fossil fuel industry is not only collectively but also individually liable both legally and socially.”
The findings arrive amid a surge in climate litigation worldwide. In the U.S., lawsuits are targeting oil majors over damages, greenwashing, and failure to manage climate risks. In July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a historic advisory opinion affirming that fossil fuel production may constitute an “internationally wrongful act,” entitling victims to reparations.
Catherine Higham, Senior Policy Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute, said:
“Governments and companies are increasingly realizing that pursuing oil and gas projects will bring legal accountability in court.”
A historic turning point
Earlier research has already shown that 36 companies are responsible for more than half of global CO₂ emissions. But this new evidence goes further showing that corporations can be tied not just to rising temperatures, but to specific lethal events.
“This study provides the evidence courts need,” the authors stressed. “We can now clearly name those responsible. The time has come to settle the bill and polluters must pay.”
