One in four heat waves this century may have been impossible without human-driven climate change. A recent study in Nature highlights how emissions from the world’s largest oil and gas companies are behind many of these extreme weather events.
This research is notable because it examines the impact of major carbon emitters rather than regions or countries. Scientists found that emissions from just 180 companies, including Exxon Mobil and Saudi Aramco, contributed to about half the increase in heat wave intensity since the preindustrial era. In fact, 14 major players influenced more than 50 heat waves that would likely not have occurred otherwise.
Yann Quilcaille, the study’s lead author and a researcher at ETH Zurich, emphasizes the importance of holding these companies accountable. Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London, agrees, stating that more scientific evidence is emerging to connect corporate actions with environmental harm.
She points out that the number of climate-related lawsuits against polluters is rising, despite challenges in proving these claims in court. In 2022 alone, heat waves resulted in over 60,000 premature deaths across Europe, illustrating the urgent need for accountability.
The study reviewed 213 heat waves from 2000 to 2023 that caused major disruptions and used computer models to compare their characteristics to a preindustrial climate. The findings were stark: heat waves became 20 times more frequent between 2000 and 2009, and up to 200 times more likely from 2010 to 2019, as climate warming increased.
Interestingly, the research also attributes individual impacts to specific companies. For example, the smallest emitter, Elgaugol, a Russian coal producer, is linked to 16 heat waves that would have been nearly impossible without climate change.
The repercussions go beyond just rising temperatures. Increased heat also exacerbates wildfires, droughts, and health risks for people. The implications are global, and underreporting in regions like Africa suggests the real impact of these heat waves could be much greater.
As Karsten Haustein, a climate scientist at Leipzig University, notes, denial and anti-science rhetoric won’t diminish the reality of climate liability or the escalating dangers of heat waves. It’s a wake-up call for both companies and communities to confront the changing climate head-on.
For more insights, you can refer to the full report in Nature.
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climate change, carbon, emissions, heat waves
