exxonmobil, one of the biggest oil giants, has emitted three times as much carbon dioxide (co₂) as the current annual emissions from fossil fuels worldwide, claims Friends of the Earth International (foei). The organisation commissioned two studies, which, it says, were carried out by independent experts in the us and New Zealand. The research involved adding up data of reports (of the company and other sources) on the demand and supply of fossil fuels, calculating the total emissions generated per year and feeding the results into an internationally recognised computer model.

The computer simulations showed that ExxonMobil and its predecessors have released approximately five per cent of the total co₂ emissions since 1882. "The report should send shivers through the boardrooms of oil companies across the world. The victims of climate change can now take legal action against ExxonMobil for the damage its activities have caused and will cause,' says Tony Juniper, director of foe uk. According to him, the conduct of the oil giant is similar to that of the tobacco companies, who "knew the harmful impacts of their product and ultimately paid the price.'

ExxonMobil has but naturally denied the claims, pointing to the range of tangible activities it undertakes to combat global warming