Heatwaves Linked to Fossil Fuel and Cement Production, Study Finds

A study by ETH Zurich, published in the journal Nature, links the increase in heatwaves worldwide to the production of fossil fuels and cement.

The study found that anthropogenic climate change has increased the frequency and severity of more than 200 heatwaves between 2000 and 2023. Emissions from the 180 largest fossil fuel and cement producers substantially contributed to these extreme weather events.

Researchers examined 213 heatwaves across all continents, noting that climate change has made each of them more likely and more intense. Global warming increased the likelihood of heatwaves by 20 times (2000-2009) and 200 times (2010-2019) compared to the period 1850-1900.

Emissions from the 180 largest carbon companies account for 60% of total carbon dioxide emissions from 1850 to 2023. Fourteen of these companies have the same contribution to climate change as the remaining 166 combined.

Source: ΑΠΕ – ΜΠΕ