
The world's biggest companies have caused $28 trillion in climate damage, a new study estimates
Washington: The world's biggest corporations have caused $28 trillion in
climate damage
, a new study estimates as part of an effort to make it easier for people and governments to hold companies financially accountable, like the tobacco giants have been.
A Dartmouth College research team came up with the estimated pollution caused by 111 companies, with more than half of the total dollar figure coming from 10
fossil fuel providers
: Saudi Aramco, Gazprom, Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, National Iranian Oil Co., Pemex, Coal India and the British Coal Corporation.
For comparison, $28 trillion is a shade less than the sum of all goods and services produced in the United States last year.
At the top of the list, Saudi Aramco and Gazprom have each caused a bit more than $2 trillion in heat damage over the decades, the team calculated in a study published in Wednesday's journal Nature. The researchers figured that every 1% of greenhouse gas put into the atmosphere since 1990 has caused $502 billion in damage from heat alone, which doesn't include the costs incurred by other extreme weather such as hurricanes, droughts and floods.
People talk about making polluters pay, and sometimes even take them to court or pass laws meant to rein them in.
The study is an attempt to determine "the causal linkages that underlie many of these theories of accountability," said its lead author, Christopher Callahan, who did the work at Dartmouth but is now an Earth systems scientist at Stanford University. The research firm Zero Carbon Analytics counts 68 lawsuits filed globally about
climate change
damage, with more than half of them in the United States.
"Everybody's asking the same question: What can we actually claim about who has caused this?" said Dartmouth climate scientist Justin Mankin, co-author of the study. "And that really comes down to a thermodynamic question of can we trace climate hazards and/or their damages back to particular emitters?"
The answer is yes, Callahan and Mankin said.
The researchers started with known final emissions of the products - such as gasoline or electricity from coal-fired power plants - produced by the 111 biggest carbon-oriented companies going as far back as 137 years, because that's as far back as any of the companies' emissions data go and carbon dioxide stays in the air for much longer than that. They used 1,000 different computer simulations to translate those emissions into changes for Earth's global average surface temperature by comparing it to a world without that company's emissions.
Using this approach, they determined that pollution from Chevron, for example, has raised the Earth's temperature by .045 degrees Fahrenheit (.025 degrees Celsius).
The researchers also calculated how much each company's pollution contributed to the five hottest days of the year using 80 more computer simulations and then applying a formula that connects extreme heat intensity to changes in economic output.
This system is modeled on the established techniques scientists have been using for more than a decade to attribute extreme weather events, such as the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave, to climate change.
Mankin said that in the past, there was an argument of, "Who's to say that it's my molecule of CO2 that's contributed to these damages versus any other one?" He said his study "really laid clear how the veil of plausible deniability doesn't exist anymore scientifically. We can actually trace harms back to major emitters."
Shell declined to comment. Aramco, Gazprom, Chevron, Exxon Mobil and BP did not respond to requests for comment.
"All methods they use are quite robust," said Imperial College London climate scientist Friederike Otto, who heads World Weather Attribution, a collection of scientists who try rapid attribution studies to see if specific extreme weather events are worsened by climate change and, if so, by how much. She didn't take part in the study.
"It would be good in my view if this approach would be taken up more by different groups. As with event attribution, the more groups do it, the better the science gets and the better we know what makes a difference and what does not," Otto said. So far, no climate liability lawsuit against a major carbon emitter has been successful, but maybe showing "how overwhelmingly strong the scientific evidence" is can change that, she said.
In the past, damage caused by individual companies were lost in the noise of data, so it couldn't be calculated, Callahan said.
"We have now reached a point in the climate crisis where the total damages are so immense that the contributions of a single company's product can amount to tens of billions of dollars a year," said Chris Field, a Stanford University climate scientist who didn't take part in the research.
This is a good exercise and proof of concept, but there are so many other climate variables that the numbers that Callahan and Mankin came up with are probably a vast underestimate of the damage the companies have really caused, said Michael Mann, a University of Pennsylvania climate scientist who wasn't involved in the study.
___
Follow Seth Borenstein on X at @borenbears. The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
OPEC+ giants ramp up additional oil to India; market share nears 78%; supplied 375,000 bpd to India in May
NEW DELHI: India's top four oil suppliers and key members of the OPEC+ alliance, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, and the UAE have significantly ramped up production and directed a major portion of the additional output to India. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Their collective market share has reached approximately 78% in India, the world's third-largest oil consumer. These nations have supplied an additional 375,000 barrels per day (bpd) to India in May compared to April, according to energy cargo tracker Vortexa. The collective increase surpassed their committed additional production of 359,000 bpd under Opec+'s output expansion plan of 409,000 bpd. Russia maintained its leading position among India's crude suppliers due to ongoing barrel discounts. In the OPEC+ May supply increase, Saudi Arabia agreed to raise output by 166,000 bpd, Russia by 79,000 bpd, Iraq by 37,000 bpd and the UAE by 77,000 bpd. Their exports to India increased by 135,673 bpd, 114,016 bpd, 66,642 bpd and 58,365 bpd respectively, resulting in market shares of 13.1%, 35.4%, 21.4% and 7.6% in May. Their combined share increased by 8.1 percentage points to 77.5%. African suppliers' share decreased to 4.9% from 11.8%, whilst US crude exports to India reduced to 5.7% from 7%. Saudi Arabia, the largest contributor to the group's supply increase, delivered the highest additional volume to India in May, increasing its market share to 13.1%, a 3% point rise from April. This increase resulted from price reductions offered to Asian purchasers, with Saudi Aramco reducing the May OSP for Arab Light by $2.30 per barrel. The premium has decreased to $1.20 above the Oman/Dubai benchmark for Asian buyers. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now For July loadings, the premium remains at $1.20, after a brief increase to $1.40 for June. "The recent Saudi Aramco's official selling price (OSP) cuts for May loadings, close to four-year low, along with the widening Brent-Dubai Exchange of Futures for Swaps (EFS) made Middle Eastern crude grades more competitively priced than other Brent-linked crudes," Xavier Tang, market analyst at Vortexa said, according to the Economic Times. "Production increases from Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members play an essential role in the Dubai crude price structure," he added. Eight OPEC+ nations have committed to increase output by an additional 411,000 bpd in June and July. The increased supply has affected prices, which have remained between $60-65 per barrel for over two months, significantly below the 2024 average of $80. Saudi Arabia's competitive pricing approach reflects the global competition for India's expanding crude market. "Saudi is offering attractive prices to gain share in India," an Indian refinery executive told the outlet.


Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Want to cut your electricity bill this summer? Try this 24°C AC 'hack'; how it works
AI-generated image for representation Want to cut your electricity bill significantly this summer? The solution might be as simple as pressing a few buttons on your AC remote. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has revealed that setting your air conditioner to 24°C instead of the usual 20-21°C could reduce your power consumption by up to 24%. This small adjustment not only keeps you comfortable but could also lead to substantial savings on your monthly electricity bills. For every one-degree increase in temperature, you can expect to save approximately 6% on your AC's energy consumption. It's a simple hack that's both wallet-friendly and environmentally conscious. What's the hack? Instead of setting your AC to chilly 20-21 degree Celsius, which most people default to, the BEE recommends adjusting to 24-25 degrees, the comfort zone that balances cooling with energy efficiency. According to BEE, increasing the AC setting by just 1°C can slash electricity usage by around 6%. So, moving from 20°C to 24°C could reduce power consumption by up to 24%. Why does it work? Cooling a room to lower temperatures requires significantly more energy. By opting for a slightly higher temperature setting, which is still comfortable, your AC doesn't have to work as hard, and that translates directly to savings on your electricity bill. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik IC Markets Undo What could it save India? If even 50% of consumers adopt this recommendation, the country could save up to 10 billion units of electricity annually. That's equal to Rs 5,000 crore in consumer savings and a reduction of 8.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year. The BEE also noted that most air-conditioners come with factory default settings, but users are free to change them to 24°C manually. With energy bills surging and climate concerns rising, the government-backed Bureau of Energy Efficiency is asking consumers to make one change. Set your AC to 24°C, it's better for your wallet, and for the planet.


India Gazette
3 days ago
- India Gazette
"Challenging project": IRCON's JGM Ashwani Dayal on transformative railway project in J-K
Katra (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 6 (ANI): Ashwani Dayal, Joint General Manager at Indian Railway Construction International Limited (IRCON), on Friday highlighted the complexities of constructing the railway project in Jammu and Kashmir, the Chenab Bridge project, citing political and engineering challenges. Dayal noted that motivating people to work on the project was a significant challenge. While speaking to ANI on Friday, Dayal said, 'Everyone knows that it was a challenging project, both politically and in terms of engineering... Another big challenge was to motivate people to come here to work on this project.' The project incorporated advanced safety features, including fire-safe cables and doors, escape doors, and unidirectional jet fans with automatic sensors. Dayal emphasised the safety features incorporated into the tunnel construction, including fire-safe cables and fire doors that can withstand temperatures up to 1000 degrees Celsius. 'Fire-safe cables and fire doors have been installed in the tunnels. They can withstand a temperature of up to 1000 degrees. Escape doors have also been provided so that people can get out safely from there,' he added. IRCON built a 270-kilometre road from Banihal to Sawalkot to transport heavy machinery, which now benefits the state government and local communities. The project also features unidirectional jet fans equipped with automatic sensors to ventilate smoke and polluted air. Dayal said, 'Unidirectional jet fans have been installed with automatic sensors to let out smoke or polluted, harmful air. We also built a road more than 270 kilometres from Banihal to Sawalkot to transport our dumpers, tractors, heavy machinery, and trains. Today, the state government is using this road, which is also benefiting nearby villages and towns.' 'So we not only brought the railways but also brought other means of transport,' Dayal added. The railway project showcases IRCON's engineering expertise and commitment to safety and infrastructure development in the region. Earlier, calling this day 'historic', Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said that the Chenab bridge part of the Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) was constructed working in harmony with nature. Addressing the public during the inauguration of the Chenab bridge, Vaishnaw said, 'Today is a historic day. Another gem has been added to Jammu and Kashmir. Today, PM Modi has inaugurated the railway line connecting Jammu to Srinagar. The country had cherished the dream of this railway line for decades. There were great challenges in its construction... Instead of trying to conquer nature, working in harmony with nature, this railway line has become a reality today through this network of bridges and tunnels. This was made possible due to the steely determination, hard work and laser-sharp focus of our Prime Minister.' Prime Minister Modi today inaugurated the world's highest railway arch bridge - the 'Chenab Railway Bridge' - and India's first cable-stayed 'Anji Bridge' in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday also flagged off two Vande Bharat Express trains from Katra Railway Station, directly connecting the Jammu division with Kashmir. This marks a major milestone in Jammu and Kashmir's railway connectivity. Before flagging off the trains, Prime Minister Modi interacted with schoolchildren on board and also spoke with railway staff members present on the train. The new Vande Bharat Express service will reduce the travel time between Katra and Srinagar from the current 6-7 hours by road to just about 3 hours. The trains aim to provide a fast, comfortable, and reliable travel option for residents, tourists, and pilgrims. The train will run through the Anji Khad Bridge, which is India's first cable-stayed railway bridge, and the Chenab Bridge, which is the highest railway bridge in the world. These trains have been specially designed to operate in the cold climatic conditions of the Kashmir Valley. In a remarkable gesture, Prime Minister Modi waved the Tiranga, the Indian national flag and carried it forward on the deck of the bridge on the Chenab River. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah were present during the inauguration. These bridges are part of the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project in Jammu and Kashmir. The iconic Chenab Railway Bridge, the world's highest railway arch bridge, is part of the Katra-to-Sangaldan stretch, connecting New Delhi directly with Kashmir via Katra. Situated in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, the Chenab Bridge is an engineering marvel standing 359 metres above the riverbed. It will officially connect the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India via rail for the first time in history. The project faced numerous engineering and logistical challenges due to the region's difficult terrain and seismic sensitivity. Yet, after years of meticulous work, the bridge now stands as a testament to India's technological prowess and commitment to inclusive development. It marks a transformative chapter in India's infrastructural landscape, promising greater connectivity, economic growth, and social integration in the region. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project is a 272 km long USBRL project, constructed at a cost of around Rs 43,780 crore, which includes 36 tunnels (spanning 119 km) and 943 bridges. The project establishes all-weather, seamless rail connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country, aiming to transform regional mobility and drive socio-economic integration. (ANI)