Greenhouse gas emissions of major U.S. companies 2020

The largest corporate emitter in the U.S. in 2020 was the Texas-based Vistra Energy, having emitted roughly 95 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e). This accounted for approximately 1.6 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. that year. The second largest carbon polluter was Duke Energy Corp.

Vistra emissions

Vistra Energy is a leading power producer and operates some of most polluting power plants in the U.S., including the coal-fired Martin Lake and Park Grove power plants in Texas. In a bid to reduce its carbon footprint, Vistra has announced it will close its coal-fired power plants in Illinois and Ohio by 2027, as it transitions to renewable energy.

Sources of emissions in the U.S.

The electric power sector is the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., closely behind the transportation sector. These two polluting sectors are responsible for more than half of total U.S. GHG emissions.