Overview
Climate Accountability Institute is an independent nonprofit research organisation established in 2011. It was founded to advance understanding of corporate responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions, particularly within the fossil fuel sector. The organisation’s work centres on improving transparency around historical and ongoing emissions linked to major energy producers. The institute operates with a research-driven philosophy, aiming to support evidence-based discussions on climate risk, accountability, and transition pathways. Its outputs are widely used across policy, academic, legal, and civil society contexts.
Mission and focus areas
Climate Accountability Institute’s core mission is to quantify and document the contribution of fossil fuel producers to global greenhouse gas emissions. Its primary focus is on attribution research, linking emissions to specific companies and state-owned entities over time. This work supports climate accountability, climate litigation, and transition risk analysis. While not a financial institution, the organisation’s research is relevant to sustainable finance and ESG integration by informing assessments of carbon risk, corporate responsibility, and exposure to fossil fuel-related transition and liability risks.
Structure and governance
The organisation operates as a small, specialist nonprofit with centralised leadership. It was founded and is led by a president with long-standing expertise in energy, emissions accounting, and climate accountability research. Climate Accountability Institute collaborates with external researchers, NGOs, and academic partners on specific projects. Its governance structure is lean, reflecting its focus on research production rather than membership-based or advocacy-led operations.
Programs and offerings
Climate Accountability Institute is best known for producing the Carbon Majors database, which quantifies historical and current emissions attributable to the world’s largest fossil fuel producers. This dataset is regularly updated and widely cited in research, media reporting, and legal proceedings. In addition to datasets, the organisation publishes analytical reports, briefings, and methodological documentation. These resources are used by researchers, policymakers, investors, and legal practitioners seeking credible emissions attribution data to support climate risk assessment, accountability initiatives, and sustainability-related decision-making.
Our mission is to use climate accountability as a fulcrum for climate stewardship.
