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Balancing the budget: why deflating the carbon bubble requires oil & gas companies to shrink

To deflate the carbon bubble and protect investors, oil & gas companies must shrink. The world’s listed oil and gas majors must cut combined production by more than a third by 2040 to keep emissions within international climate targets and protect shareholder value. The current requirements under the Paris Agreement are that nations limit warming to “well below” 2ºC and “pursue efforts” for 1.5ºC. For a 50% chance of success, carbon budgets for 1.5ºC and 1.75ºC, irrespective of the trajectory taken, equate to 13 and 24 years at current CO2 emissions levels.