State-run oil giants and cement producers top the list of global polluters
More than half of the global greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels and cement in 2023 came from just 36 companies. These are the “carbon majors” driving the climate crisis, with half of them under state control.
The findings come from the latest Carbon Majors report by InfluenceMap, a UK-based think tank that tracks emissions linked to the extraction and use of coal, oil, gas, and cement production. The database covers 169 major corporate producers. Notably, emissions from cement production rose by 6.5% in 2023 alone.
The top global greenhouse gas emitters
The five biggest emitters in the world are all state-owned enterprises:
- Saudi Aramco
- Coal India
- CHN Energy
- National Iranian Oil Co.
- Jinneng Group
Together, these five companies accounted for 17.4% of all global greenhouse gas emissions in 2023—equivalent to 7.4 billion tons of CO₂ (GtCO₂eq). With the exception of Saudi Aramco, each of these companies increased their emissions compared to the previous year.
Saudi Aramco alone was responsible for 4.38% of global emissions—six times more than Italy.
Private sector polluters aren’t far behind
The top five private companies contributed 4.9% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2023, equal to 2.2 GtCO₂eq. These are the energy giants:
- ExxonMobil
- Chevron
- Shell
- TotalEnergies
- BP
Despite mounting global pressure to reduce fossil fuel consumption, these oil majors continue to scale up production, InfluenceMap notes.
China leads by country emissions
When grouped by country, Chinese companies remain the top contributors to global emissions. In 2023, Chinese firms were responsible for 23% of global CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and cement—repeating their lead from 2022.
Cement: the new emissions frontier
While fossil fuels remain the largest source of emissions, cement is increasingly a major concern. Four of the five companies with the steepest rise in emissions last year are cement producers:
- Holcim Group
- Heidelberg Materials
- UltraTech Cement
- CRH
Historical responsibility: 180 companies behind most industrial emissions
Looking further back, InfluenceMap’s historical data reveals that since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, just 180 companies have been responsible for 67.5% of all industrial CO₂ emissions. From 1854 to today, the legacy of industrial pollution remains tightly linked to a handful of corporate actors.