Linking of oil giants to major heatwaves marks leap forward' for legal liability cases

"The research found that the emissions from any one of the 14 biggest companies were by themselves enough to cause more than 50 heatwaves that would otherwise have been virtually impossible. The study shows, in effect, that those emissions caused the heatwaves. The carbon pollution from ExxonMobil's fossil fuels, for example, made 51 heatwaves at least 10,000 times more likely than in an unheated world, the researchers found, as did the emissions from Saudi Aramco."

"Global heating is making heatwaves more frequent and more intense across the globe, contributing to at least 500,000 heat-related deaths a year. The searing heatwave that struck the Pacific Northwest of the US in 2021 was made almost 3C hotter, for example. The new research found that the total emissions from the 180 carbon major companies included in the analysis were responsible for about half the increase in intensity, with emissions due to forest destruction making up most of the rest."

Emissions from the 14 largest fossil fuel companies individually caused more than 50 heatwaves that would otherwise have been virtually impossible. ExxonMobil’s carbon pollution made 51 heatwaves at least 10,000 times more likely, and Saudi Aramco showed a similar contribution. Global heating is increasing heatwave frequency and intensity, contributing to at least 500,000 heat-related deaths per year. Total emissions from 180 carbon-major firms accounted for roughly half the rise in heatwave intensity, with forest-destruction emissions making up most of the remainder. From 2010–2019, 213 heatwaves became on average 200 times more likely because of the climate crisis. Tracing single-emitter contributions can support establishing liability.

Read at www.theguardian.com