Climate change: The oil giants have known about the problem since the 1960s. “They practiced disinformation” – US report

The world’s major oil and natural gas giants (“Big Oil”) knew “at least” from the 1960s that fossil fuels would cause global warming, but persisted in denying this and even practiced disinformation, according to a report by US lawmakers and quoted by AFP.

“For more than half a century, Big Oil has misled the American public about its role in the climate crisis, doing everything in its power to keep the United States and the world dependent on its polluting products” , according to the report of a committee made up of Democratic members of the House of Representatives, released on Tuesday.

“Big Oil” refers to the six giants and organizations analyzed in this survey launched in September 2021: ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP America, Shell, the American Petroleum Institute (API) – which represents the oil sector – and the Chamber of Commerce.

“All six (…) have obstructed and delayed” this investigation, refusing to appear “despite subpoenas,” points out the 65-page report titled “Denial, Disinformation and Doublespeak: The Evolution of Big Oil Companies’ Efforts to Avoid responsibility for climate change”.

After calling climate change a “hoax” and denying its existence, the report says, the oil industry was forced to “change its position” in the face of scientific data “that was becoming too overwhelming to continue to deny.” .

It then, the report continues, “developed a campaign of deception and double-speak – supported by an army of trade bodies – publicly claiming to support climate change action but operating behind the scenes to avoid it”.

responsibility

And so do elected officials, arguing that natural gas is “safe” for the climate and could be used “as a transition energy to a fossil fuel-free future.”

“It is time to hold Big Oil accountable for its campaign of deception and take action to repair the damage it has caused,” the report concludes.

These are “old allegations that have already been addressed in congressional hearings on the matter and in lawsuits,” ExxonMobil told AFP.

“As we’ve said many times, climate change is real and an entire branch of our group is dedicated to reducing emissions – ours and others,” he continued, saying his annual budget is a third of that of the US EPA. environmental protection (EPA).

For its part, an API spokesperson stated that the sector “is focused on providing Americans with a reliable and affordable supply of oil and gas, while developing the next generation of low-emission technologies such as hydrogen and CO2 capture”.

“Any suggestion to the contrary is incorrect,” he said.

The remarkable accuracy of the predictions of ExxonMobil scientists

It is not the first time that it has come to light that oil companies have been aware for several decades of the harmful effect of fossil fuels on the climate, writes AFP.

The subject was addressed during the hearings organized by this parliamentary committee, which included a questioning of the major oil companies.

In January 2023, a study published in the journal Science revealed the remarkable accuracy of ExxonMobil scientists’ predictions of rising temperatures, some dating back to 1977.

But in 2000 the group’s chief executive Lee Raymond said it did not have “sufficient scientific understanding of climate change to make reasonable predictions”.

Several legal proceedings have already been launched, particularly against the company in the United States.