Climate Change Denial Funding and the Role of ExxonMobil
For decades, the intersection of corporate interests and environmental science has been a point of intense scrutiny. Among major oil corporations, ExxonMobil has emerged as one of the most active participants in the debate over climate change. While other energy giants diversified into renewables, ExxonMobil reaffirmed its commitment to oil and gas in 2005, coinciding with a strategic effort to influence public and political perception of global warming.
Analysts and scientific bodies have frequently compared these efforts to the tactics used by the tobacco industry to deny the link between smoking and lung cancer. A 2007 analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists highlighted the use of similar strategies, personnel, and organizations to manufacture doubt about the scientific consensus that burning fossil fuels causes global warming.
[ไม่มีภาพประกอบ]Key Facts
- ExxonMobil provided over $20 million to organizations supporting climate change denial since the Kyoto Protocol.
- Between 2000 and 2003, at least $8,678,450 was channeled to 40 organizations employing disinformation campaigns.
- A 2011 Carbon Brief analysis found 9 out of 10 prolific climate skeptics had ties to ExxonMobil.
- The company used advertorials in major newspapers from 1989 to 2010 to claim climate science was "unsettled."
- Funding was often diverted through third-party foundations like Donors Trust to avoid traceability.
Strategic Influence and the Kyoto Protocol
During the 1990s and 2000s, ExxonMobil played a significant role in advancing climate change denial on an international scale. The company was particularly influential in preventing the United States from ratifying the Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
To achieve this, ExxonMobil became a founding member of the Global Climate Coalition, a group of businesses opposed to emissions regulation. By funding organizations critical of the protocol, the company sought to undermine the public's trust in the scientific consensus regarding human-induced global warming.
The Use of Disinformation Campaigns
Reports indicate that ExxonMobil utilized a network of think tanks and advocacy groups to spread contrarian information. Between 1998 and 2004, the company granted $16 million to organizations that disputed the impact of global warming. These groups included the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the Heartland Institute, and the George C. Marshall Institute.
In 2006, the UK's Royal Society found that ExxonMobil had given $2.9 million to American groups that misinformed the public, with 39 of those groups outright denying scientific evidence. This led the Royal Society to formally demand that ExxonMobil withdraw its funding for climate denial.
The "Climate Change Counter-Movement"
Environmental sociologist Robert Brulle identified a broader "climate change counter-movement," noting that ExxonMobil contributed approximately 4% of its total funding. Brulle's research revealed a sophisticated system where funding from corporations like ExxonMobil and Koch Industries was routed through third-party foundations, such as Donors Capital, to mask the original source of the money.
This "covert funding" was criticized by the Corporate Europe Observatory, which argued that such investments in think tanks were hypocritical given ExxonMobil's public advertising campaigns portraying the company as environmentally responsible.
[ไม่มีภาพประกอบ]Funding Individual Scientists
Beyond organizational support, funding extended to individual scientists who promoted climate skepticism. Figures such as Fred Singer, Fred Seitz, and Patrick Michaels have been linked to organizations funded by ExxonMobil and Philip Morris USA. Additionally, the company funded the work of solar physicist Wei-Hock "Willie" Soon, who attributed most global warming to solar variation rather than human activity.
Public Relations and Media Influence
From 1989 until April 2010, ExxonMobil and its predecessor, Mobil, purchased regular Thursday advertorials—advertisements designed to look like editorial articles—in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. These pieces consistently argued that the science of climate change was unsettled.
In 2000, the company specifically targeted the US First National Assessment of Climate Change, claiming the report was a "political document" rather than an objective scientific summary and asserting that it was impossible to attribute temperature increases to human activity.
| Period/Source | Amount/Detail | Purpose/Target |
|---|---|---|
| 1998–2004 | $16 Million | Advocacy organizations disputing global warming |
| 2000–2003 | $8.67+ Million | 40 organizations running disinformation campaigns |
| 2005 (Royal Society) | $2.9 Million | 39 groups misrepresenting climate science |
| 2007–2015 | $1.87 Million | Republican members of Congress |
| Post-Kyoto | $20+ Million | General support for climate change denial |
Corporate Shifts and Denials
ExxonMobil has frequently denied funding climate denial. In 2007, Vice President Kenneth Cohen stated the company had ceased funding the Competitive Enterprise Institute and several other groups. However, a Greenpeace report from May 2007 claimed that while five groups were cut, 41 similar organizations continued to receive funds.
By 2008, the company pledged to cut funding to research groups that diverted attention from the need to address climate change. While Robert Brulle suggested the company stopped funding the counter-movement by 2009, Greenpeace reported that ExxonMobil still granted $1 million to climate denial groups in 2014.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did ExxonMobil influence the Kyoto Protocol?
ExxonMobil funded organizations critical of the protocol and was a founding member of the Global Climate Coalition, which worked to prevent the United States from ratifying the treaty by undermining public opinion on the scientific consensus of global warming.
What is the "climate change counter-movement"?
It is a network of think tanks, advocacy groups, and scientists funded by corporate interests (such as ExxonMobil and Koch Industries) to cast doubt on climate science and oppose greenhouse gas regulations.
How did the company hide its funding sources?
According to research by Robert Brulle, funding was often diverted through third-party foundations like Donors Trust and Donors Capital to avoid direct traceability to the corporate donors.
What role did advertorials play in their strategy?
Between 1989 and 2010, ExxonMobil used paid advertorials in major newspapers to present the science of climate change as "unsettled" and to challenge official scientific assessments as being politically motivated.
Did ExxonMobil fund individual scientists?
Yes, the company funded scientists such as Wei-Hock "Willie" Soon and supported organizations that employed skeptics like Fred Singer and Patrick Michaels to promote contrarian views on global warming.