Major fossil fuel producers are largely responsible for heat waves

A black-and-white photo of a senior executive with a burning briefcase in his hand graces the cover of the British weekly Nature , a snapshot from the past. This man represents the executives of fossil fuel companies, whose emissions have contributed significantly to the occurrence and intensity of heatwaves over the past 20 years.

A unique study , published by the journal, clearly points out their responsibility for the first time.

Researchers led by Sonia Seneviratne of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich have shown that dozens of the 213 heatwaves that occurred between 2000 and 2023 across all seven continents would not have occurred without global warming. This made heatwaves twenty times more likely between 2000 and 2009 and even two hundred times more likely between 2010 and 2019, compared to the period between 1850 and 1900.

“For twenty years, climatologists have attributed storms, droughts, and heat waves to global warming. Now, they are studying the share of responsibility of fossil fuel producers,” explains Nature in apopular article .

The researchers demonstrated the contribution of each of the 180 largest producers of fossil fuels and cement to each heat wave.

“As a scientist, it is not my place to say who is legally responsible for these events,” warns Yann Quilcaille, the study’s lead author. He continues:

“On the other hand, I can say that these large groups contribute to heat waves, and make them more intense and more frequent.”

This study, however, marks an important step in clarifying responsibilities for the climate crisis.