Fossil Fuel Companies: Climate Change Consensus Or Controversy?

Fossil fuel companies are responsible for producing and selling products that scientists say are causing climate change. Despite this, many of these companies have knowingly deceived the public about the realities of climate change and their role in it. Some of the largest fossil fuel companies, including ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Shell, have been accused of spreading misinformation and obstructing climate policies. They have also been criticized for their advertising campaigns, which often focus on clean energy while the companies continue to invest primarily in oil and gas. While some companies have started to take steps towards reducing their carbon emissions, the efforts are often too small or too slow to make a meaningful impact. As a result, fossil fuel companies continue to face lawsuits and growing pressure from investors and the public to address their role in climate change.

Fossil fuel companies have knowingly deceived the public about climate change for decades

Fossil fuel companies have been aware of the contribution of their products to global warming for decades. However, instead of taking responsibility and committing to reducing their emissions, many of these companies have engaged in campaigns to deceive the public about climate change. This deception has taken various forms, including spreading disinformation, lobbying politicians, and greenwashing.

Internal company documents, leaked to the public or disclosed through lawsuits and Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests, reveal that fossil fuel companies have deliberately misled the public about the realities and risks of climate change. These documents, known as the "Climate Deception Dossiers", show that companies such as ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, BP, Shell, and Peabody Energy have engaged in deceptive tactics such as forged letters to Congress, secret funding of scientists, and the creation of fake grassroots organizations.

One example of this deception is ExxonMobil's 40-year history of climate disinformation. Research by Harvard scholars Geoffrey Supran and Naomi Oreskes has revealed systematic discrepancies between what ExxonMobil scientists said about climate science in private and academic circles and what the company communicated to the public. ExxonMobil contributed quietly to climate science while promoting doubt about it in public, attacking the science and scientists, and delaying climate action. The company's tactics have evolved over time, becoming more subtle and sophisticated, but the end goal remains the same: to stop action on climate change.

The deception and disinformation campaigns of fossil fuel companies have had real-world consequences. More than half of all industrial carbon emissions have been released since 1988, and there is still no comprehensive US federal policy to address this problem. The costs of repairing the damage and adapting to extreme weather caused by climate change will be significant. For example, New York state estimates that it will cost more than $500 billion by 2050 to mitigate the impacts of climate change on infrastructure.

As a result of their actions, fossil fuel companies are now facing a wave of lawsuits and growing investigations. New York and Vermont have passed laws to fine fossil fuel companies for the damage caused by climate change, and other states and federal action are likely to follow. It is clear that fossil fuel companies have knowingly deceived the public about climate change for decades, and it is now time for them to be held accountable for their actions and their fair share of responsibility for the harm they have caused.

They have used tactics such as counterfeit science and the harassment of scientists

Fossil fuel companies have been aware of the link between their products and global warming for decades. However, instead of taking responsibility and committing to reducing their carbon emissions, many of these companies have engaged in a campaign of deception and disinformation. They have used a range of tactics to distort the evidence of climate change and block climate action, including counterfeit science and the harassment of scientists.

One of the key tactics employed by fossil fuel companies is the creation and spread of counterfeit science. These companies have funded and promoted pseudo-scientific research that casts doubt on the existence or impact of climate change. They have also worked to distort and downplay the evidence of climate change, creating an illusion of uncertainty despite the strong scientific consensus. This tactic is similar to that used by the tobacco industry in the past, which sought to protect its products by spreading misinformation and creating doubt about the link between smoking and health risks.

In addition to spreading disinformation, fossil fuel companies have also engaged in the harassment and intimidation of climate scientists. One prominent example is the case of Michael Mann, a climate scientist who published groundbreaking research on global warming in the 1990s. Mann has been the target of numerous attacks, including hate mail, legal battles, and attempts to access his private correspondence through Freedom of Information Act requests. These efforts have been backed by fossil fuel companies and their associated think tanks and lobby groups, who aim to discredit and silence scientists studying the impacts of climate change.

The fossil fuel industry has also used its financial power to influence politicians and regulators, lobbying against climate action and spreading disinformation through industry associations and front groups. They have worked to shape public and political opinion, creating an alternate narrative that denies or downplays the existence of climate change. This denial machine, as it has been called, is a sprawling network of talking heads, front groups, and faux-research designed to persuade people that climate change is not a concern.

The tactics employed by the fossil fuel industry have had a significant impact on climate action, slowing progress and obstructing efforts to move away from fossil fuels. Despite growing public awareness and pressure, many of these companies continue to spread disinformation and obstruct climate policies, even as they face lawsuits and increasing scrutiny for their deceptive practices.

Fossil fuel companies have fought efforts to move away from their products

Fossil fuel companies have known for decades that their products—oil, natural gas, and coal—are causing global warming. Instead of taking responsibility, they have deceived shareholders, politicians, and the public about the facts and risks of global warming. They have repeatedly fought efforts to move away from fossil fuels and have slowed progress on addressing the climate crisis.

The world's leading oil and gas companies have scorned attempts to transition to clean energy, claiming that the shift is failing and being pushed forward at an "unrealistic pace". At the industry's annual Cera Week conference in Houston, Texas, executives denounced calls for a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels, despite widespread acknowledgment of the need to reduce planet-heating emissions to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. They argued that the world should abandon the fantasy of phasing out oil and gas and instead continue investing in them.

This skepticism was echoed by other executives, who predicted that the transition to clean energy could take up to 40 years. They also warned of a potential crisis if the shift is rushed or mishandled. However, climate campaigners swiftly denounced these comments, accusing the industry of working to torpedo the transition to renewable energy while critiquing its slowness.

The fossil fuel industry's efforts to prevent climate action may come as a surprise to some. Many leading companies brand themselves as part of the climate solution while actively undermining or limiting the scope of climate policies and regulations—a tactic known as "greenwashing". Despite their advertisements touting renewable energy, these companies have not contributed meaningfully to climate change solutions and have failed to update their business plans to address climate realities.

An in-depth analysis of eight major fossil fuel companies, including ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP, and Peabody Energy, found that they continue to spread climate disinformation and have not adequately planned for a low-carbon future. These companies should bear responsibility for the damage caused by their products and immediately stop funding and spreading climate disinformation.

They have spread disinformation and influenced politicians and regulators

Fossil fuel companies have been accused of spreading disinformation and influencing politicians and regulators to prevent action on climate change. This has been achieved through various means, including lobbying, funding climate-change-denying think tanks and advocacy groups, and contributing quietly to climate science while promoting doubt about it.

One notable example is ExxonMobil, which has been the subject of multiple investigations and lawsuits alleging deceptive practices and potential fraud related to climate change disinformation. In 2017, a research fellow in the History of Science at Harvard, Geoffrey Supran, co-authored a series of papers on ExxonMobil's climate disinformation campaign, revealing systematic discrepancies between what the company said about climate science privately and publicly. Supran's work demonstrates how ExxonMobil has misled the public by contributing to climate science while simultaneously promoting doubt and attacking scientists to undermine and delay climate action.

Another tactic employed by fossil fuel companies is "greenwashing," where they market or brand themselves as part of the climate solution while actively working behind the scenes to undermine or limit the scope of climate policies and regulations. For instance, the very notion of a personal carbon footprint was popularized by BP as part of a $100 million per year marketing campaign between 2004 and 2006, shifting the focus from the company's fossil fuel supply to individual consumer energy demand.

Furthermore, fossil fuel companies have used their financial power to influence politicians and regulators. For example, the powerful fossil fuel lobby in the United States has spent vast sums of money to influence lawmakers while spreading doubt about the science of climate change. This includes the conservative petrochemical magnates Charles and David Koch, who have poured millions of dollars into efforts to discredit climate science, and Exxon, which has given nearly $37 million to spread climate misinformation.

The result of these disinformation campaigns and lobbying efforts has been the prevention of meaningful action on climate change, with fossil fuel companies successfully fighting efforts to move away from their products and towards renewable energy sources.

Fossil fuel companies have contributed to the majority of global industrial carbon dioxide emissions

Fossil fuels, when burnt, produce carbon dioxide (CO2), the main driver of climate change. In 2022, burning fossil fuels accounted for 74% of total greenhouse gas emissions and 93% of total US anthropogenic CO2 emissions. The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the US is the burning of fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation. The transportation sector, which includes cars, trucks, ships, trains, and planes, is the largest contributor to direct greenhouse gas emissions. Over 94% of the fuel used for transportation is petroleum-based, resulting in direct emissions.

Electric power is the second-largest source of US greenhouse gas emissions, with 60% of electricity coming from burning fossil fuels, mainly coal and natural gas. The industrial sector, which burns fossil fuels for energy and uses them in certain chemical reactions, is the third-largest source of direct emissions. The commercial and residential sector, which uses fossil fuels for heating and cooling buildings, is the fourth-largest contributor to emissions.

Fossil fuel companies have known for decades that their products cause global warming. Instead of acknowledging the harmful effects of their products, many of the world's largest fossil fuel companies have deceived the public about climate science and policy. They have fought efforts to move away from fossil fuels and continue to spread disinformation to obstruct climate policies.

The climate crisis is largely driven by human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels. Fossil fuel companies, therefore, bear a significant responsibility for the increase in greenhouse gases and the resulting climate change impacts.

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