Unnatural Disasters: The Connection Between Extreme Weather and Fossil Fuels

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines the causal link between fossil fuel emissions and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. It details the role of 'Carbon Majors' in global emissions, the financial disparity between industry profits and climate damages, and the growing use of litigation to hold these companies accountable. The document argues that a managed phase-out of fossil fuels, through both supply and demand reductions, is essential to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

• Attribution science now allows individual extreme weather events to be linked to climate change, with over 500 studies confirming that human-caused warming has made heatwaves stronger and more likely, and has driven 'compound events' such as simultaneous floods and heatwaves.
• Fossil fuels have contributed approximately 69% of global carbon dioxide emissions since the industrial revolution. A small group of 122 large firms, known as 'Carbon Majors', are responsible for 80% of these emissions, and just 20 companies produced over a third of global CO2 and methane emissions since 1965.
• There is a significant gap between the profits earned by the largest fossil fuel companies and the economic damages they have caused. Between 1985 and 2018, the 'dirtiest dozen' Carbon Majors earned USD 21 trillion in profits while being responsible for an estimated USD 15 trillion in economic damages.
• Evidence indicates that the fossil fuel industry was aware of the link between its products and climate change as early as the 1950s and 1970s, yet spent decades funding climate denial and lobbying against green technologies like wind, solar, and electric vehicles.
• Legal actions are increasingly targeting fossil fuel companies to recover costs for climate-related losses. Examples include Vermont's 2024 law to fund climate damages, lawsuits in Puerto Rico regarding Hurricanes María and Fiona, and a human rights finding by the Philippines Commission on Human Rights.
• To limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the International Institute for Sustainable Development suggests oil production must fall by 15% and gas by 30% by 2030 (relative to 2020). This requires keeping nearly 40% of developed reserves in the ground.
• Progress in decarbonisation is evident in several regions: China's solar capacity grew from 28 GW in 2014 to nearly 610 GW by 2023, and the European Union saw a 24% reduction in power plant emissions in 2023 due to renewable energy targets.

APA

Team, Z. (2024). Unnatural Disasters: The Connection Between Extreme Weather and Fossil Fuels. Zero Carbon Analytics. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/insights/briefings/unnatural-disasters-the-connection-between-extreme-weather-and-fossil-fuels/

Chicago

Team, ZCA. Unnatural Disasters: The Connection Between Extreme Weather and Fossil Fuels. Zero Carbon Analytics, 2024. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/insights/briefings/unnatural-disasters-the-connection-between-extreme-weather-and-fossil-fuels/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Team |first1=ZCA |title=Unnatural Disasters: The Connection Between Extreme Weather and Fossil Fuels |publisher=Zero Carbon Analytics |date=23 July 2024 |url=https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/insights/briefings/unnatural-disasters-the-connection-between-extreme-weather-and-fossil-fuels/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{team2024unnatural, author = {Team, ZCA}, title = {{Unnatural Disasters: The Connection Between Extreme Weather and Fossil Fuels}}, institution = {Zero Carbon Analytics}, year = {2024}, month = jul, url = {https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/insights/briefings/unnatural-disasters-the-connection-between-extreme-weather-and-fossil-fuels/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }