The top 20 companies in the world are responsible for a staggering 35% of the total global greenhouse emissions on today.
These companies have a significant moral, financial, and legal responsibility for the climate crisis, and have an equally proportionate burden to help address the problem.
But despite this, a study earlier this year found that the largest five stock-market-listed oil and gas companies spend nearly $200m each year lobbying to delay, control or block policies to tackle climate change. (link)
But what should we all be doing? Well many of the worst offenders are investor-owned companies that are household names around the world and they spend billions of pounds portraying themselves as environmentally responsible. So the first step is to take any of their marketing with a truck load of salt. Next – get behind political campaigners. You may not be the kind of person who blocks a road with Extinction Rebellion, but consider supporting their cause with a donation, or voting for a political party who have a green manifesto.
Have a read through the work being done by Climate Accountability Institute, which focuses its work on the fossil fuel companies that, in their view, have their collective hand on the throttle are paramount in determining the rate of carbon emissions and the shift to non-carbon fuels.
But chiefly of all, try hard not believe everything you read on face value. Look into the science. Research the facts, and act responsibly by living sustainably.