180 fossil fuel companies linked to hundreds of extreme heatwaves: Study

A study published yesterday (10 September) in the international journal Nature has directly linked hundreds of heatwaves this century to the world's largest fossil fuel companies, identifying 180 major fossil fuel and cement producers collectively known as "carbon majors" as significant contributors.

The study also revealed that just 14 companies have polluted enough to cause more than 50 heatwaves, which have claimed the lives of over 500,000 people worldwide. Scientists analysed 213 heatwaves that occurred between 2000 and 2023 across 63 countries, finding that such events have become more frequent and intense as a result of climate change.

For the first time, the study directly linked individual companies to specific deadly heatwaves, including the 2021 Pacific Northwest "heat dome" in the United States and the 2023 European heatwaves. Among the corporations named are Saudi Aramco, Russia's Gazprom, U.S.-based ExxonMobil and Chevron, and British companies BP and Shell.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has long warned that human-driven climate change—caused primarily by greenhouse gas emissions—has made heatwaves stronger and more frequent since the 1950s. Today, every heatwave is worsened by climate change.

The report highlights the grave risks posed by extreme heat, which disrupts the body's cooling mechanisms and raises the likelihood of heatstroke and other potentially fatal illnesses. Thousands of people die each year as a direct result of excessive heat, reads the press release.

"Individual liability" for heatwave deaths

Richard Heede of the Climate Accountability Institute, one of the study's lead authors, stated: "For the first time, we can scientifically connect specific heatwaves to specific companies. This means the fossil fuel industry is not only collectively but also individually liable—both legally and socially."

The researchers found that half of global warming can be traced back to the 180 companies examined, with the top 14 firms alone responsible for emissions equal to all the others combined.

This is not the first instance of fossil fuel companies being held accountable for climate change. A separate study published in March this year concluded that just 36 companies are responsible for more than half of the world's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. CO2, the most prevalent human-caused greenhouse gas, is released mainly through the burning of fossil fuels, industrial processes, and cement production. Its concentration has risen by 50% since the Industrial Revolution and is responsible for nearly three-quarters of global warming emissions.

The new Nature study also noted a sharp rise in climate-related lawsuits against fossil fuel companies, particularly in the United States. These cases range from damages linked to emissions, to accusations of greenwashing and inadequate climate risk management.

Catherine Higham, senior policy fellow at the Grantham Research Institute, said: "Governments and companies are increasingly realising that pursuing oil and gas projects will bring legal accountability in court."

In July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a landmark advisory opinion on climate change liability, declaring that fossil fuel production could constitute an internationally wrongful act, potentially entitling victims to reparations. Researchers stressed that the Nature study delivers the long-awaited evidence needed in court: "We can now clearly name those responsible. The time has come to settle the bill—and polluters must pay for the damage they've caused."