Database Carbon Majors, originally launched by Richard Heed of the Climate Accountability Institute (CAI) in 2013 and updated by InfluenceMap, serves as a key tool for linking historical greenhouse gas emissions to specific industrial producers. This extensive database, which tracks production data from 122 of the world's largest producers of oil, natural gas, coal and cement, plays a a crucial role in holding fossil fuel producers accountable for their impact on climate in academic, regulatory and legal contexts. Its findings reveal an alarming concentration of responsibility for climate change in the hands of a small group of actors.

From 1854 to 2022, the Carbon Majors database tracks cumulative historical emissions of 1,421 GtCO2e attributable to 122 industrial producers. CO2 emissions from this group represent equivalent to 72 % of total global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels and cement since 1751. Even more strikingly, more than 70 % of these global CO2 emissions can be historically attributed to just 78 corporate and state-owned production entities. The largest contributors include China (coal), the former Soviet Union, Saudi Aramco, Chevron, and ExxonMobil. The entities are divided into three types: investor-owned companies (31 % of all emissions in the database), state-owned companies (33 %), and state-owned national companies (36 %), with the latter dominating the coal sector.

The reality after the Paris Agreement, adopted at the end of 2015 to limit global warming, is particularly worrying. In the seven years since the agreement was adopted (2016-2022), 251 GtCO2e of emissions are associated with the 117 existing entities in the database, representing more than 88 % of total CO2 emissions from fossil fuels and cement in this period. As much as 80 % of these global emissions from 2016 to 2022 can be traced to just 57 corporate and state-owned producers, highlighting the growing concentration of carbon contributions. Despite clear warnings from the IPCC about the need to rapidly phase out coal, oil and gas, Most (58 %) state-owned and investor-owned companies expanded their production after the Paris AgreementThis is most pronounced in Asia (87 % rated companies) and the Middle East (70 %). While emissions associated with coal production by investor-owned companies have fallen, Coal production by state-owned companies and nation-states has increased significantly, leading to an overall increase in global coal consumption of almost 8 %. Emissions associated with natural gas production have also increased following the Paris Agreement.

In addition to direct emissions, the Carbon Majors database is also critical for uncovering resistance of these entities to climate regulation. Many of the companies tracked by the Carbon Majors database are among the most climate-neutral companies in the world. The LobbyMap database shows that half of the 10 largest investor-owned companies have a score of D- or lower (indicating unsupportive attitudes towards climate policy), and all are actively involved in influencing climate policy. State-owned companies are even more oppositional; none of the six companies in the top 10 scored better than D+, indicating increasingly obstructive engagement.

A summary of the Carbon Majors database provides comprehensive understanding of the role of the world's largest producers of fossil fuels and cement in shaping industrial greenhouse gas emissions. Her findings provide compelling evidence of concentrated responsibility for substantial climate impacts, supporting the case for legal and academic demands for liability and compensation for climate change damages. She highlights that despite global agreements and urgent climate challenges, many of the major contributors are maintaining and even increasing their production, often actively obstructing meaningful climate action.

Using the Carbon Majors database and the sources provided, we can identify the world’s 25 largest polluters, both historically (1854–2022) and post-Paris Agreement (2016–2022). The database tracks cumulative emissions from the 122 largest producers of oil, gas, coal and cement, including direct operational emissions and emissions from the combustion of products sold. The “Total emissions (MtCO2e)” values include methane equivalents, while the “Percent of global CO2 emissions” refers to CO2 emissions only.

Top 25 polluters (historical emissions: 1854–2022)

These 25 entities are associated with the highest cumulative greenhouse gas emissions since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution through 2022:

1. China (coal): 276,458 MtCO2e (14.01 % of global CO2 emissions)
2. Former Soviet Union: 135,113 MtCO2e (6.82 % of global CO2 emissions)
3. Saudi Aramco: 68,832 MtCO2e (3.63 % of global CO2 emissions)
4. Chevron: 57,898 MtCO2e (2.98 % of global CO2 emissions)
5. ExxonMobil: 55,105 MtCO2e (2.79 % of global CO2 emissions)
6. Gazprom: 50,687 MtCO2e (2.31 % of global CO2 emissions)
7. National Iranian Oil Co. (National Iranian Oil Company): 43,112 MtCO2e (2.22 % of global CO2 emissions)
8. BP: 42,530 MtCO2e (2.19 % of global CO2 emissions)
9. Shell: 40,674 MtCO2e (2.06 % of global CO2 emissions)
10. Coal India: 29,391 MtCO2e (1.49 % of global CO2 emissions)
11. Poland: 28,750 MtCO2e (1.46 % of global CO2 emissions)
12. Oil and gas: 25,497 MtCO2e (1.32 % of global CO2 emissions)
13. Russian Federation: 23,412 MtCO2e (1.19 % of global CO2 emissions)
14. China (cement): 23,161 MtCO2e (1.31 % of global CO2 emissions)
15. ConocoPhillips: 20,222 MtCO2e (1.01 % of global CO2 emissions)
16. British Coal Corporation: 19,745 MtCO2e (1.00 % of global CO2 emissions)
17. CNPC (PetroChina): 18,951 MtCO2e (0.97 % of global CO2 emissions)
18. Peabody Coal Group: 17,735 MtCO2e (0.90 % of global CO2 emissions)
19. TotalEnergies: 17,584 MtCO2e (0.90 % of global CO2 emissions)
20. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC): 17,383 MtCO2e (0.90 % of global CO2 emissions)
21. Petroleos de Venezuela: 16,901 MtCO2e (0.88 % of global CO2 emissions)
22. Kuwait Petroleum Corp. (Kuwait Petroleum Corporation): 15,922 MtCO2e (0.84 % of global CO2 emissions)
23. Iraq National Oil Company (National Iraqi Oil Company): 15,188 MtCO2e (0.81 % of global CO2 emissions)
24. Sonatrach: 14,955 MtCO2e (0.735 % of global CO2 emissions)
25. Rosneft: 14,295 MtCO2e (0.75 % of global CO2 emissions)

Top 25 polluters (post-Paris Agreement period: 2016–2022)

In the seven years since the adoption of the Paris Agreement (2016–2022), emissions have intensified, with the following 25 entities among the largest contributors:

1. China (coal): 72,993 MtCO2e (25.79 % of global CO2 emissions)
2. Saudi Aramco: 13,256 MtCO2e (4.84 % of global CO2 emissions)
3. Gazprom: 10,127 MtCO2e (3.26 % of global CO2 emissions)
4. Coal India: 8,509 MtCO2e (3.01 % of global CO2 emissions)
5. National Iranian Oil Co. (National Iranian Oil Company): 8,176 MtCO2e (2.80 % of global CO2 emissions)
6. China (cement): 8,155 MtCO2e (3.21 % of global CO2 emissions)
7. Russian Federation: 7,174 MtCO2e (2.53 % of global CO2 emissions)
8. Rosneft: 5,734 MtCO2e (2.07 % of global CO2 emissions)
9. CNPC: 4,966 MtCO2e (1.71 % of global CO2 emissions)
10. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC): 4,746 MtCO2e (1.70 % of global CO2 emissions)
11. ExxonMobil: 4,086 MtCO2e (1.42 % of global CO2 emissions)
12. Iraq National Oil Company (National Iraqi Oil Company): 3,695 MtCO2e (1.37 % of global CO2 emissions)
13. Shell: 3,621 MtCO2e (1.24 % of global CO2 emissions)
14. BP: 3,513 MtCO2e (1.22 % of global CO2 emissions)
15. Sonatrach: 3,408 MtCO2e (1.14 % of global CO2 emissions)
16. Chevron: 3,326 MtCO2e (1.16 % of global CO2 emissions)
17. Kuwait Petroleum Corp. (Kuwait Petroleum Corporation): 3,046 MtCO2e (1.12 % of global CO2 emissions)
18. TotalEnergies: 2,877 MtCO2e (1.00 % of global CO2 emissions)
19. Petrobras: 2,839 MtCO2e (1.03 % of global CO2 emissions)
20. Oil and gas: 2,648 MtCO2e (0.96 % of global CO2 emissions)
21. Peabody Coal Group: 2,394 MtCO2e (0.85 % of global CO2 emissions)
22. Glencore: 2,313 MtCO2e (0.82 % of global CO2 emissions)
23. Lukoil: 2,310 MtCO2e (0.83 % of global CO2 emissions)
24. Petronas: 2,223 MtCO2e (0.76 % of global CO2 emissions)
25. Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation): 2,107 MtCO2e (0.74 % of global CO2 emissions)

These lists demonstrate that responsibility for a significant portion of global CO2 emissions is concentrated in the hands of a relatively small number of corporate and state producers, who often increase their production even after the adoption of the Paris Agreement. JRi