Big Oil accused of decades of denial and doublespeak over climate change, US committee report says

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The world’s largest oil groups were accused of “denial, disinformation and doublespeak” at a US Congressional hearing, after an investigation showed they had privately acknowledged for decades that burning fossil fuels causes climate change.

The report by Congressional Democrats followed a three-year probe that unearthed internal documents from the major energy companies with evidence of concerted campaigns “to confuse and mislead the public while working unceasingly to lock down a fossil fuel future”, said Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Oversight committee.

“Big Oil’s denial, disinformation, and doublespeak — all in service of their campaign to deceive the public about the enormous climate crisis we are in and the role that Big Oil has played in bringing it about,” he said on Wednesday.

The hearing comes as scientists conclude 2023 was the hottest year on record. Earlier this year, the World Meteorological Organization sounded a “red alert” on the climate change behind record surface and ocean temperatures, glacial retreat and rising sea levels.

The report, which is accompanied by documents from Chevron, BP, ExxonMobil, Shell, the American Petroleum Institute and the US Chamber of Commerce, finds the companies “worked for decades” to undermine public understanding about climate change.

In one example, in response to Washington state climate change policies, BP planned to spend between $2.5mn and $4.5mn on “hard persuasion” tactics, another $2.5mn on a salmon hatchery to associate BP with “robust sea life” and $300,000 on “soft persuasion” with elected officials.

It also reports the industry pushed gas, made mainly from methane, as a clean fuel while “internally acknowledging that there is significant scientific evidence that the lifecycle emissions from gas are as bad as coal”.

Companies also made public pledges to support the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement and reach net zero emissions targets, while internally recognising they could not achieve those goals, the investigation finds.

Sheldon Whitehouse, the chair of the Senate budget committee which held the hearing on Wednesday, said the fossil fuel industry had “deceived the American public” while “raking in record profits”.

Oil companies across the world have reported bumper profits over the past two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine drove a surge in the price of crude.

Chuck Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, said it was “undeniable” that fossil fuels were “critical” to US energy security. He also accused Democrats of failing to “acknowledge the unpopularity of their many climate policy proposals”.

“What’s worse is they assume the American people who don’t want expensive and burdensome climate regulations are too dumb to think for themselves,” Grassley said in his opening testimony.

The API said the investigation was “unfounded election-year rhetoric”. The US Chamber of Commerce, Chevron, BP and Shell were approached for comment.

Exxon said the report included “tired allegations” that had been publicly addressed through previous Congressional committees on the same topic and litigation in the courts.

“As we have said time and time again, climate change is real, and we have an entire business dedicated to reducing emissions — both our own and others,” it said.

The company has a 2050 net zero plan for emissions from its own operations but does not address so-called scope 3 emissions, which are the result of the use of its products and make up the bulk of pollution when burnt.

In March, the WMO reported global surface temperatures last year was 1.45C above pre-industrial levels, with a margin of uncertainty of 0.12C.

Records were broken “and in some cases smashed” for greenhouse gas levels, ocean heat and acidification, rising sea levels, Antarctic sea ice cover and glacier retreat, the UN agency said.