A Union of Concerned Scientists-led study released in September 2017 analyzes and quantifies the climate change impacts of carbon dioxide and methane emissions traced to specific fossil fuel companies. Based on an analysis of two time periods (1880 - 2010 and 1980 - 2010), the study found that:

• "Emissions traced to the 90 largest carbon producers contributed to around 57 percent of the observed rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide, nearly 50 percent of the rise in global average temperature and around 30 percent of global sea level rise since 1880."

• "Emissions traced to the 50 investor-owned carbon producers, including large companies such as ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP, Peabody, ConocoPhillips and Total, contributed around 16 percent of the global average temperature increase from 1880-2010, and around 11 percent of the global sea level rise over this period." 

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited the following principal companies named in the study to respond:

• BP - response provided below

• Chevron - declined to respond

• ConocoPhillips - response provided below

• ExxonMobil - did not respond

• Peabody Energy - response provided below

• Shell - declined to respond

• Total - response provided below