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Legend: Contribution of historical period, 1880–2010 (a, c, e), and recent
1980–2010 (b, d, f) emissions traced to top 20 investor-owned and majority
state-owned industrial carbon producers to atmospheric CO2, GMST, and
GSL rise from 1880 to 2010. Bar values are the median best-estimate full
historical forcing model simulations with the error bars showing the first and
90th removal order of each carbon producer.
Q10: Given all these findings, what was your group’s conclusion, if any?
A10: Our study demonstrates that the proportional increase in atmospheric carbon
dioxide, global mean surface temperature, and global sea level from emissions
traced to major carbon producers is quantifiable and substantial. The analyses
presented here could be extended to examine the contribution of emissions
traced to major carbon producers to other impacts, such as historical increases
in ocean acidification or the mortality impacts from extreme heat and other
extreme events.
Size of contribution, such as calculated in this study, is one factor to consider
in assessing responsibility for climate change consequences. Other factors
include consideration of differences among carbon producers in how they
responded to the scientific evidence of the climate risks of their products. We
hope that these factors, coupled with ethical, legal, and historical