Global temperatures are rising, the Arctic ice cap is melting, sea levels are rising, polar bears are drowning, and extreme storms, fires, droughts and floods are becoming more frequent. The best science tells us that heat-trapping gases released by the burning of fossil fuels are primarily responsible for these alarming trends. ExxonMobil is one of the biggest obstacles to meaningful action on this urgent problem. The company’s leadership lags behind all the others in acknowledging that global warming is real, urgent, and mostly caused by human activity.
DENYING THE SCIENCEEver since global warming emerged on the international agenda, ExxonMobil has actively tried to defeat and derail efforts to address the problem. The company's legacy of denying the science and urgency of global warming is unparalleled - even as other oil companies acknowledged the problem. In 2006, the Washington Post deemed ExxonMobil the "the highest-profile corporate skeptic about global warming."
FUNDING THE DENIAL INDUSTRYA leaked industry memo dating back to 1998 also reveals that ExxonMobil has been involved in a coordinated effort to confuse the public around global warming science; just like the tobacco industry did around smoking. To this day, ExxonMobil is the only oil giant known to be directly funneling millions of dollars to groups that deny the science on global warming.
Read More.MANIPULATING POLITICSPolitically, ExxonMobil outspends most of its competitors on politicians and lobbying. In 2006, ExxonMobil doubled its lobbying expenditure to an astounding $14.5 million – the most ever recorded by an oil and gas company. It has used its wealth and influence to manipulate the politics around global warming and block action. Internal documents show that the company worked intimately with the White House to craft the Bush administration's global warming policies.
In the face of fierce criticism, ExxonMobil has begun to nuance its message on global warming. Still, the company stresses the so-called "uncertainties" in the science. The real test is whether the company stops funding global warming denier groups and starts supporting mandatory reductions of global warming pollution.
