Companies Pumping the Most Greenhouse Gas Into the Atmosphere

Source: Courtesy of Energy Transfer Equity

35. Energy Transfer
> 2019 CO2 equivalent emissions: 17,469,106 metric tons
> Environmental justice, poor population share: 15% – #39 highest out of 100 corporations
> Environmental justice, minority population share: 62% – #23 highest
> Pct. of CO2 equivalent emissions from single facility: 27% – #56 highest
> Industrial sectors: Petroleum and natural gas systems, other, power plants

The Pennsylvania Attorney General last October charged Dallas-based Energy Transfer with 48 counts of environmental crimes during construction of the Mariner East 2 natural-gas liquids pipeline. Energy Transfer has been hit with environment-related fines of more than $542 million since 2000.

Source: RiverNorthPhotography / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

34. FirstEnergy
> 2019 CO2 equivalent emissions: 18,050,230 metric tons
> Environmental justice, poor population share: 18% – #16 highest out of 100 corporations
> Environmental justice, minority population share: 9% – #95 highest
> Pct. of CO2 equivalent emissions from single facility: 65% – #24 highest
> Industrial sectors: Power plants, other

FirstEnergy’s Harrison Power Station in Haywood, West Virginia, is responsible for 65% of CO2 equivalent emissions from one single facility. In 2005, the Akron, Ohio, company’s Ohio Edison unit agreed to spend $1.1 billion on pollution control equipment, pay a civil penalty of $8.5 million, and spend $25 million on other environmental projects.

Source: Olga Kashubin / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

33. Macquarie
> 2019 CO2 equivalent emissions: 18,158,027 metric tons
> Environmental justice, poor population share: 16% – #31 highest out of 100 corporations
> Environmental justice, minority population share: 50% – #38 highest
> Pct. of CO2 equivalent emissions from single facility: 30% – #51 highest
> Industrial sectors: Power plants, waste, petroleum and natural gas systems, other

Australian company Macquarie was slapped with a $7.5 million fine in 2011 for environmental violations committed by its subsidiaries in Massachusetts. The company recently reported fiscal year 2022 net income of 4.7 billion Australian dollars.

Source: Basin Electric Power Cooperative

32. Basin Electric Power Cooperative
> 2019 CO2 equivalent emissions: 18,198,882 metric tons
> Environmental justice, poor population share: 11% – #86 highest out of 100 corporations
> Environmental justice, minority population share: 12% – #92 highest
> Pct. of CO2 equivalent emissions from single facility: 37% – #39 highest
> Industrial sectors: Power plants, chemicals, minerals, other

Basin Electric Power Cooperative’s Antelope Valley facility in Beulah, North Dakota, accounted for 37% of the company’s CO2 equivalent emissions. Basin Electric Power Cooperative is a not-for-profit power-generation cooperative based in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Source: Americasroof / Wikimedia Commons

31. Blackstone
> 2019 CO2 equivalent emissions: 18,584,285 metric tons
> Environmental justice, poor population share: 19% – #12 highest out of 100 corporations
> Environmental justice, minority population share: 67% – #13 highest
> Pct. of CO2 equivalent emissions from single facility: 35% – #42 highest
> Industrial sectors: Power plants, petroleum and natural gas systems

Plants in Ohio and Texas are responsible for more than 50% of CO2 equivalent emissions at plants owned by the New York private equity company Blackstone. The company reported revenue of $22.6 billion and net income of $5.9 billion in 2021.