A recent study indicates that emissions from major fossil fuel producers have significantly intensified heat waves, including the 2021 heat dome in British Columbia. This research, conducted by Swiss climate scientists, is among the first peer-reviewed papers to connect specific companies to climate-related weather events. The study analyzed 213 heat waves and found that approximately one-quarter would have been nearly impossible without human-induced climate change.

The researchers assert that emissions from certain companies, including some smaller ones and Canadian oil and gas producers, have made previously unlikely heat waves statistically possible. "These results are relevant not only in the scientific community but also for climate policy, litigation, and wider efforts concerning corporate accountability," said a lead researcher from ETH Zurich, a prominent earth sciences university.

The study attributes about half of the increase in heat wave intensity to emissions from a group of cement and fossil fuel producers. However, this approach has faced criticism from industry groups, which argue they should not be held accountable for emissions that occur after their products are used, such as vehicle exhaust. Climate advocates contend that this perspective minimizes the responsibility of major oil companies, which have long been aware of the risks associated with burning fossil fuels yet continued to expand production.

The study, published in the journal Nature, has been welcomed by Canadian climate advocates as a potential tool for holding oil and gas companies accountable for climate change costs. Andrew Gage, a staff lawyer with West Coast Environmental Law, stated, "At some level, we are all collectively responsible for climate change, but at the same time, this type of paper just makes it that much clearer how much more responsible these companies are."

Gage's organization is urging local governments in British Columbia to consider a class-action lawsuit against oil and gas producers to address the rising costs of adapting to climate change, such as combating severe wildfires and constructing seawalls. He noted, "The fact that they are not paying any of the costs associated with the harm, and in fact, they're making record profits selling these products, sort of shows the problems with the way we've tackled this legally and economically until now."

The study contributes to the emerging field of climate attribution, which seeks to link climate change to specific extreme weather events. Canadian federal climate scientists have begun publishing rapid studies to assess how climate change has increased the likelihood of heat waves across the country. Earlier this year, another study in Nature established methods to connect economic losses to high-emitting companies, but the current research uniquely ties specific heat waves to these companies.

The analysis covered heat waves from 2000 to 2023, utilizing a database of international disasters. Researchers combined emissions data from 180 companies with climate models to determine temperature changes attributable to each company. The 2021 heat wave in British Columbia was estimated to be 2.3 degrees hotter due to climate change, with emissions from Cenovus Energy, Suncor Energy, and Canadian Natural Resources contributing approximately 0.0073 degrees to that increase.

Kaitlin Bloemberg, a registered nurse in Vancouver, expressed concern for those affected by climate change. "I think of patients, families, communities who are suffering and dying because of the climate crisis that is driven by the fossil fuel emissions," she said. During the 2021 heat wave, over 600 heat-related deaths were reported, and emergency departments experienced a surge in patients as temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius in many areas of B.C.

In response to these events, Bloemberg noted that the health sector has taken steps to prepare for future heat waves. "It can't just be the health-care system that's responsible for sort of cleaning up this mess or having the burden of climate change mitigation," she said. "The responsibility is taken off the industries who are actually causing these events and whose emissions have been linked to these events."

While high-profile climate cases in Canada have primarily focused on holding governments accountable for emissions targets, similar cases in the U.S. have sought to hold the fossil fuel industry directly responsible. Earlier this year, a woman in Washington state filed a wrongful death suit against several oil and gas companies, alleging their contributions to extreme heat led to her mother's death from hyperthermia during the 2021 heat wave. A lawyer for Chevron criticized the lawsuit as politicizing personal tragedy.

Gage believes the recent study may not immediately lead to similar legal actions in Canada. "The barriers, I think, have been partly political, and the public understanding why this industry can be said to have played a major role in causing these impacts and should be paying some of the costs. And this paper helps with that," he said.