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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Do some Chinese companies pollute more than entire nations?

By Jacob Alabab-Moser
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YES

Several large corporations generate more carbon emissions than some entire large nations. Emissions from Chinese industrial companies such as Baowu (a steelmaker), Huaneng Power International or China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation are equivalent to or in some cases larger than those from the entire nations of Pakistan, the U.K. or Canada, respectively, according to Bloomberg. Bloomberg used data from the companies as well as estimates by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

Between 1988 and 2015, 100 privately- and state-owned companies around the world were responsible for 71% of greenhouse gas emissions; 25 of those were responsible for 51% of emissions. Chinese coal companies and ExxonMobil were the highest emitting state-owned and privately owned companies. The Chinese coal producers contributed more than 14% of total emissions over that period.

China, which is currently the world's largest carbon emitter, has pledged to have its emissions peak in 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2060.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Bloomberg The Chinese companies polluting the world more than entire nations
Carbon Disclosure Project The Carbon Majors report
Reuters China vows new incentives to cut pollution, CO2, but says 'stability' paramount
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.