Top contributors to greenhouse gas emissions
Topic: Earth
From HandWiki - Reading time: 8 min
Top contributors to greenhouse gas emissions details which of the global companies, sources, countries were or are producing the most greenhouse gas emissions. Gas emissions which pollute the environment are mainly: Carbon dioxide (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated Global Warming Potential for 100 years [1] of 1, which indicates as a gas type it is the least potentially damaging), Methane (27 - 29.8), Nitrous oxide (273),[2] all of which exist from natural sources with human sources [3] and the Fluorinated gases [2] these being bromofluorocarbon, chlorofluorocarbon, hydrochlorofluorocarbon, [3] hydrofluorocarbon, [4] nitrogen trifluoride,[3] perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride[4] (25,200 [2]), all of which are unnatural.[2]
The extraction and subsequent use of fossilized photosynthetic plants, which is known as coal, and plankton fossils, which is known as oil and natural gas, [5] as a fuel source, is the single most damaging activity creating de-stabilization of the natural climatic state on Earth, which is known simply as global warming. [6]
The first part of this article uses data from [7] a climate accountability [8] report of Heede, van Der Vlugt and Griffin of the Carbon Disclosure Project. [7] While data of emissions "Direct operational" and indirectly caused from the companies surveyed were indicated by the CDP, requests for data which were ignored by companies and emissions resulting from the use of products originating with companies were included as estimates by the researchers. [7] The data used by the CDP scientists is a composite of quantities of emissions as described via the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard (GHGPCS): Scope 1 and Scope 3 emissions (not including Scope 2) - these three being all the possible emission types. 1 is direct emissions sources from a companies owned or possessed resources, 3 is indirect sources consequential of the production - divided by GHGPCS into upstream and downstream, and 15 categories. [9] Scope 3 emissions are thought to be approximately 90% of the total from any company and result from the combustion of coal, and, or, oil, and, or, gas during the conversion of these into energy i.e. as fuel; which is categorized as a downstream. [7] The relevant tables below have a ranking of 20 industrial greenhouse gas emitters from 1988 to 2015 from the Carbon Majors Database (CDP) [10] report, [7] a July 10, 2017 [11] dataset of GtCO2e. [12]
The second part details most CO
2 emissions by source for the year 2021 using Climate TRACE.
The third part of this article details production sites at single locations where the most CO
2 pollution exists or existed in the recent past.
Carbon Dioxide
Ranked 10 most countries
In million tonnes, as reported March 2023, China is the greatest maker of pollution as 12705.1. USA is second because of 6001.2, India 3394.3, EU (which is 27 countries) caused 3383.4, Russia 2476.8, Japan 1166.5, Brazil 1057.3, Indonesia 1002.4, Iran 893.7, and Canada made 736.9.[13]
Cumulative Scope 1+3 emissions consequential from oil and gas extraction [12]
| Rank | Company | Country | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Aramco) |  Saudi Arabia
|
4.8% |
| 2 | Gazprom OAO |  Russia
|
4.2% |
| 3 | National Iranian Oil Co |  Iran
|
2.3% |
| 4 | ExxonMobil Corp |  United States
|
2.1% |
| 5 | Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) |  Mexico
|
2.0% |
| 6 | Royal Dutch Shell PLC | 1.8% | |
| 7 | BP PLC |  United Kingdom
|
1.7% |
| 8 | China National Petroleum Corp (PetroChina) |  China
|
1.6% |
| 9 | Chevron Corp | United States
|
1.4% |
| 10 | Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) |  Venezuela
|
1.3% |
| 11 | Abu Dhabi National Oil Co |  United Arab Emirates
|
1.2% |
| 12 | Kuwait Petroleum Corp |  Kuwait
|
1.0% |
| 13 | Total SA |  France
|
1.0% |
| 14 | Sonatrach SPA |  Algeria
|
1.0% |
| 15 | ConocoPhillips | 1.0% | |
| 16 | Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) |  Brazil
|
0.8% |
| 17 | Nigerian National Petroleum Corp | 0.7% | |
| 18 | Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) | 0.7% | |
| 19 | Rosneft OAO | 0.7% | |
| 20 | Lukoil OAO | 0.7% | |
| SUM | 32.0% | ||
All cause 1+3 cumulative emissions [7]
The Guardian newspaper (England, Britain) [14] and Acciona [15] (bracketed); both citing CDP:
| Rank | Company | Country | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China (Coal) | China
|
14.32% (14.3%) |
| 2 | Saudi Aramco | Saudi Arabia
|
4.50% (4.5%) |
| 3 | Gazprom | Russia
|
3.91% (3.9%) |
| 4 | National Iranian Oil Company | Iran
|
2.28% (2.3%) |
| 5 | ExxonMobil | United States
|
1.98% (2.0%) |
| 6 | Coal India |  India
|
1.87% (1.9%) |
| 7 | Petróleos Mexicanos | Mexico
|
1.87% (1.9%) |
| 8 | Russia (Coal) | Russia
|
1.86% (1.9%) |
| 9 | Shell | United Kingdom
|
1.67% (1.7%) |
| 10 | China National Petroleum Corporation | China
|
1.56% (1.6%) |
| 11 | BP | United Kingdom
|
1.53% |
| 12 | Chevron Corporation | United States
|
1.31% |
| 13 | PDVSA | Venezuela
|
1.23% |
| 14 | Abu Dhabi National Oil Company | United Arab Emirates
|
1.20% |
| 15 | Poland (Coal) |  Poland
|
1.16% |
| 16 | Peabody Energy | United States
|
1.15% |
| 17 | Sonatrach | Algeria
|
1.00% |
| 18 | Kuwait Petroleum Corporation | Kuwait
|
1.00% |
| 19 | Total | France
|
0.95% |
| 20 | BHP |  Australia, United Kingdom
|
0.91% |
| SUM | 47.2% | ||
Scope 3
Scope 3 emissions are thought to be approximately 90% of the total from any company (Scope 1) and result from fuel combustion. [7]
Vehicle emissions
Pickup trucks were found to produce the most emissions in a group of vehicles including SUVs and cars, in a survey reported January 2022. [16] Excluding pickup trucks, the most polluting car type surveyed 2017 is the 2011 - 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee which creates 372 grams per kilometre from the exhaust pipe, the 2007 - 2014 Audi R8 creates 346, thirdly the Chevrolet Camaro 335, the tenth most polluting, the Porsche Macan creates 291. [17]
Home: cooking fuels and technologies
The World Health Organisation considers that during 2018 approximately 3 billion people, which was more than 40% of the 2018 estimated global population, used polluting fuel sources in their residences. [18]
Largest sources Carbon Dioxide (Scope 1)
The largest sources for the year 2021 were:[19]
| Rank | Source | Emission (million tonnes) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Permian Oil and Gas Field, Texas , United States
|
208.61 |
| 2 | Urengoyskoye Russia
|
152.0 |
| 3 | North of Quebec,  Canada [19] logging operations [20]
|
126.77 |
| 4 | Marcellus, United States, oil and gas field
|
124.38 |
| 5 | Bovanenkovskoye, Russia, oil and gas field
|
122.69 |
| 6 | South Pars, Iran, oil and gas field
|
118.09 |
| 7 | Zapolyarnoye, Russia, oil and gas field
|
105.41 |
| 8 | Permian New Mexico, United States, oil and gas field
|
93.12 |
Largest point source (Scope 1)
During March 2020, Secunda CTL, owned by Sasol, a synthetic fuel [21] and chemicals from coal [22] plant in Secunda, South Africa, was the producer of the single most emissions, at 56.5 million tonnes of CO
2 a year.[21] The Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) of the Government of South Africa determined Sasol has until 1 April 2025 to comply with the legal limits for emissions, [23][24] as described by the Air Quality Act 2004:Part 3; 12; Category 3.[25] Sasol's pledge to reduce it's emissions from the plant by 10% by 2030 was reported during November 2020, [26] during 2023 it was reported that this was amended to 30%. [27]
(As of 2021) the gas-fired power plant which emits the most is the Taichung Power Station in Taiwan, with 34.19 million tonnes CO
2.[28][19]
See also
- Afşin-Elbistan C power station
- Attribution of recent climate change
- Carbon footprint
- List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions
- List of countries by greenhouse gas emissions
Bibliography
- Çınar Engineering Consultancy (March 2020). Afşi̇n C Termi̇k Santrali, açık Kömür İşletmesi̇ Ve Düzenli̇ Depolama Alanı Projesi̇ Nihai ÇED Raporu (Report). Ministry of Environment and Urbanisation (Turkey). http://eced.csb.gov.tr/ced/jsp/ek1/23019.
- FAQ ghgprotocol.org Greenhouse Gas Protocol June 16 2023
- "World Population Prospects 2022". https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/content/World-Population-Prospects-2022.
References
- ↑ "Understanding global warming potentials". 12 January 2016. https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/understanding-global-warming-potentials.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Climate Change Indicators: Major Long-Lived Greenhouse Gases and Their Characteristics". 16 December 2015. https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/greenhouse-gases.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "ACS Climate Science Toolkit Greenhouse Gases". https://www.acs.org/climatescience/greenhousegases/whichgases.html.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "What Are Greenhouse Gas Emissions?". 20 September 2019. https://clear.ucdavis.edu/news/what-are-greenhouse-gas-emissions.
- ↑ University of California Museum of Paleontology. "Understanding Global Change – Discover why the climate and environment changes, your place in the Earth system, and paths to a resilient future.". https://ugc.berkeley.edu/background-content/burning-of-fossil-fuels/.
- ↑ "Causes of Global Warming". https://wwf.org.au/what-we-do/climate/causes-of-global-warming/.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Griffin, Dr P. "The Carbon Majors Database CDP Carbon Majors Report 2017 100 fossil fuel producers and nearly 1 trillion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions". https://cdn.cdp.net/cdp-production/cms/reports/documents/000/002/327/original/Carbon-Majors-Report-2017.pdf?1501833772.
- ↑ Faria, Pedro; Griffin, Dr. P.. "CDP foreword - A fresh angle to an old debate". p. 4. https://cdn.cdp.net/cdp-production/comfy/cms/files/files/000/000/979/original/Carbon-Majors-Database-2017-Method.pdf.
- ↑ https://www.climatepartner.com/en/scope-1-2-3-complete-guide https://www.climatepartner.com
- ↑ Griffin, Dr. P.; Heede, R.; van Der Vlugt, I.. "The Carbon Majors Database Methodology Report 2017". https://cdn.cdp.net/cdp-production/comfy/cms/files/files/000/000/979/original/Carbon-Majors-Database-2017-Method.pdf.
- ↑ New report shows just 100 companies are source of over 70% of emissions https://www.cdp.net/ Retrieved June 12, 2023.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Griffin, Dr. P.; Heede, R.; van Der Vlugt, I.. "The Carbon Majors Database Dataset 1.0 Methodology and Results". https://cdn.cdp.net/cdp-production/cms/reports/documents/000/001/800/original/Carbon-Majors-Dataset-1.0.pdf?1489055836.
- ↑ Friedrich, Johannes; Ge, Mengpin; Pickens, Andrew; Vigna, Leandro (March 2, 2023). "World's Top Emitters Interactive Chart". https://www.wri.org/insights/interactive-chart-shows-changes-worlds-top-10-emitters.
- ↑ Riley, Tess (Jul 10, 2017). "Just 100 companies responsible for 71% of global emissions, study says" (in en). https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2017/jul/10/100-fossil-fuel-companies-investors-responsible-71-global-emissions-cdp-study-climate-change.
- ↑ <100 Companies Are Responsible for 71% of GHG Emissions https://www.acciona.com/
- ↑ Automotive Industry www.weforum.org Statista Mobility Market Outlook. Retrieved June 16, 2023
- ↑ "Car CO2 emissions explained". https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/new-and-used-cars/article/car-emissions/car-co2-emissions-aRVNW9t0zLu6.
- ↑ "9 out of 10 people worldwide breathe polluted air, but more countries are taking action". 2 May 2018. https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/02-05-2018-9-out-of-10-people-worldwide-breathe-polluted-air-but-more-countries-are-taking-action.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 https://climatetrace.org/map Retrieved June 14, 2023
- ↑ Cloe Logan (2021-11-01) New report shows emissions from Canada's forestry sector are vastly underreported www.nationalobserver.com
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Sguazzin, Antony (2020-03-17). "The World's Biggest Emitter of Greenhouse Gases". Bloomberg.com. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-03-17/south-africa-living-near-the-world-s-biggest-emitting-plant.
- ↑ "10.2.1. Commercial Use of Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis". https://netl.doe.gov/research/carbon-management/energy-systems/gasification/gasifipedia/sasol.
- ↑ "Secunda: living in the shadow of the world's biggest carbon polluter". City Press, Auckland Park. https://www.news24.com/citypress/news/secunda-living-in-the-shadow-of-the-worlds-biggest-carbon-polluter-20200317.
- ↑ "Managing Air Quality Compliance". https://www.sasol.com/sustainability/environment/air-quality.
- ↑ Sonjica, Buyefwa Patience. "National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, 2004 (Act no. 39 of 2004) – List of Activities Which Result in Atmospheric Emissions Which Have or May Have a Significant Detrimental Effect on the Environment, Including Health, Social Conditions, Economic Conditions, Ecological Conditions or Cultural Heritage". Republic of South Africa Government. https://www.dffe.gov.za/sites/default/files/gazetted_notices/nemaqa_listofactivities_g33064gon248.pdf.
- ↑ https://www.energyvoice.com/renewables-energy-transition/ccs/africa-ccs/278257/sasol-carbon-secunda-gas/ https://www.energyvoice.com/
- ↑ https://www.energyvoice.com/renewables-energy-transition/hydrogen/africa-hydrogen/477652/sasol-signs-up-green-power-at-secunda-sasolburg/ https://www.energyvoice.com/
- ↑ Freeman Jeremy et al. Power Sector Climate Trace github.com/ p. 20. Retrieved June 14, 2023
External links
- Stephen Conmy Apr 4, 2023 News Analysis The 20 most polluting companies in the world https://www.thecorporategovernanceinstitute.com/
- Leakey, Andrew D.B.; Ainsworth, Elizabeth A.; Bernacchi, Carl J.; Rogers, Alistair; Long, Stephen P.; Ort, Donald R. (2009). "Elevated CO2 effects on plant carbon, nitrogen, and water relations: Six important lessons from FACE". Journal of Experimental Botany (Oxford University Press and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) 60 (10): 2859–2876. doi:10.1093/jxb/erp096. PMID 19401412. https://experts.illinois.edu/en/publications/elevated-co-sub2sub-effects-on-plant-carbon-nitrogen-and-water-re. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- Glossary: Well tank wtt emissions, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, https://www.unescwa.org/
- C. Wulf, M. Kaltschmitt Environmental impacts of hydrogen use in vehicles 15.2.2 Well-to-wheel analysis, Elsevier, https://www.sciencedirect.com/
- Most car Models sold Worldwide 2022, Statista, https://www.statista.com/
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