Exxonmobil, the world's largest oil company and owners of the respective brands Exxonmobil, Mobil, and Esso, has been shown to be funding anti-climate change and global warming lobbies, despite its public support for further research into climate change solutions, and a call to cut unnecessary climate change scepticism.
The Guardian reported that research into Exxonmobil's finances show substantial payments, totalling hundreds of thousands of pounds, in 2008 alone. With the Exxonmobil group explicitly stating last year that they were ready to cut spending to such groups, the statistics garnered by independent analysts represent a worrying disparity between words and deeds.
The Graham Research Institute's Policy and Communications Director, Bob Ward, stated that,
"ExxonMobil has been briefing journalists for three years that they were going to stop funding these groups. The reality is that they are still doing it. If the world's largest oil company wants to fund climate change denial then it should be upfront about it, and not tell people it has stopped."
In a classic case of finance dictating ethics, Exxonmobil have shown that, for many of the world's top organisations, the concept of the fight against climate change is one to which they only intend to pay lip service; as a growing 'green consciousness' develops, bottom up, the analysis undertaken here only serve to highlight that a commitment to climate change issues from companies like Exxonmobil, are centred not on environmental issues, but corporate branding.
Ward, who is in long standing disagreement with Exxonmobil about the scientific funding, further stated that,
"I have now written again to ExxonMobil to point out that these organisations publish misleading information about climate change on their websites, and to seek guidance on how to reconcile this fact with the pledge made by the company. I believe that the company should keep its promise by ending its financial support for lobby groups that mislead the public about climate change."
In relation to the report, and Ward's claims, Exxonmobil commented that "We have the same concerns as people everywhere, and that is how to provide the world with the energy it needs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions".
Posted under Articles, Environmental News
This post was written by Chris Woolfrey on July 3, 2009
