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The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) reports that 88 major carbon producers contributed more than half of the increase in ocean acidification and about half of the global temperature rise from 1880 to 2015. The document highlights that these companies, including investor-owned firms like ExxonMobil and Chevron, were aware of the climate risks of their products as early as 1965 but engaged in campaigns to sow doubt. It argues that these entities should be held financially responsible for climate-related damages, such as the $2 billion in additional costs attributed to sea level rise during Hurricane Sandy in New York City.

The report calculates that between 1882 and 2002, ExxonMobil emitted 21.53 billion tonnes of carbon equivalent, representing approximately 5% of global CO2 emissions. It argues that the company has actively undermined climate science and the Kyoto Protocol despite increasing production to record levels after scientific consensus on human-induced climate change was established. The findings link these emissions to 3.4%-3.7% of human-attributable global temperature increases and 2% of sea-level rise, with the latter projected to reach 3.2%-3.6% by the year 2200.