The Biggest Polluters in the World

The world’s biggest polluters include some of the most powerful companies in the world. These companies produce a large proportion of the air and water pollution that affects us all. They are also the biggest contributors to the destruction of the natural environment.

ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil, a Texas-based oil and gas company, is among the biggest polluters in the world. And, like the tobacco industry, it has tried to play down the effects of pollution. It has spent billions of dollars in recent years to reduce emissions.

But, a recent study revealed that the company has been using its vast resources to deflect attention from its own pollution. In the study, scientists combed through a trove of internal documents. They interviewed former and current employees of the company and scientists from various fields.

After analyzing the internal communications, they found that the company made misleading claims about climate science from the early 2010s on. During that time, Exxon took out ads in major publications that suggested climate science was in question.

Pemex

Mexico’s state-owned oil and gas company Pemex is one of the biggest polluters in the world. According to an analysis conducted by the U.S. Climatic Responsibility Institute, Pemex is in the top 20 of the world’s biggest producers of carbon emissions.

The report notes that Pemex is not prepared for a global climate change transition. However, the company plans to expand its fuel oil production, which is the main product for the Comision Federal de Electricidad.

Pemex has a lot of debt, mostly held by bond investors. There are wide spreads between the yields on Pemex bonds. These wide spreads mean that borrowing from Pemex is difficult. This will affect the value of Pemex’s debt.

BP

If you are unaware, BP is one of the largest polluters in the world. The company produces 3.8 million barrels of oil and gas each day. Despite that fact, BP plans to cut its oil output by 40% by 2030.

But even with these aggressive targets, BP isn’t actually a “low carbon” company. It still depends on black oil, even if it touts its “beyond petroleum” campaign.

In 2004, BP created the first “carbon footprint calculator” to show customers how much of their emissions were caused by their day-to-day activities. Since then, BP has spent millions of dollars on advertising about clean, low-carbon energy. However, a recent BBC investigation found millions of tons of the company’s carbon dioxide equivalent emissions were omitted from BP’s calculations.

Shell

The Dutch court recently found Royal Dutch Shell responsible for dangerous climate change. A three-judge panel of the The Hague District Court ordered Shell to drastically cut its carbon emissions by 45 percent by 2030.

Aside from requiring Shell to act immediately, the court also found that the company was in breach of its legal obligations. Specifically, the court found that Shell had violated the European Convention on Human Rights and its right to family life.

It was also determined that the company’s policies were inadequate. Specifically, the court noted that the targets that the company set in the past were not sufficient.

Iran

If you haven’t heard, Iran is one of the world’s biggest polluters. In fact, the country’s pollution has become an issue that has taken on a national scale in recent years.

The situation has only been made worse by the United States policy, which has imposed restrictions on environmental aid. Tehran, the country’s capital, has seen high levels of air pollution in recent years. Nevertheless, some steps have been taken.

There have been several initiatives to control air pollution. Some of these include replacing older buses with new models that run on natural gas. Others involve a closer monitoring of factories that cause the problem.

Saudi Arabia

The oil-rich kingdom of Saudi Arabia has one of the world’s biggest carbon footprints. It has become a top player in international climate change movements and is pursuing its own climate program.

As part of its Vision 2030, the country is carrying out a green environment policy. It has committed to reduce pollution emissions by 278 million tonnes annually by 2030. Earlier this year, the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman announced a $620 billion wealth fund that will target net zero emissions by 2050.

Oil-exporting countries should be more sophisticated in their environmental policies. For instance, Saudi Arabia can incorporate a tax on CO2 emissions into its government revenue. This could help it deal with rising emissions. Moreover, it can use government revenue to fund renewable projects.

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan has become one of the largest polluters in the world. As a member of the Paris Climate Accord, it has implemented tighter environmental legislation. However, its standards for air quality are outdated and do not reflect current practices. The World Bank has recommended that Kazakhstan extend its air quality monitoring network.

Industrial activities are a significant source of air pollution. Some areas in Kazakhstan continue to suffer from high levels of air pollution.

One of the largest sources of emissions in Kazakhstan is metallurgy. Most power plants use coal as their primary fuel. In most cases, coal power plants do not have adequate emissions control technology.

 

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