You And I Fund Climate Change Disinformation: New Research Shows Spending to Delay Action Amid Subsidies
A new study published in InfluenceMap shows that the big oil and gas companies spend billions of dollars to block climate change mitigation. In fact, the research found “The five largest publicly-traded oil and gas majors,(ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron, BP and Total) have invested over $1Bn of shareholder funds in the three years following the Paris Agreement on misleading climate-related branding and lobbying.” These actions are overwhelmingly in conflict with the Paris Agreement to limit greenhouse gases and disinformation campaigns make it difficult for governments to meet their goals.
The 2016 Paris Agreement was an attempt to keep a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius and strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change. The agreement asks for all parties’ best efforts through nationally-determined contributions and requires that all Parties report regularly on their emissions and on their implementation efforts.
The InfluenceMap data shows over $200 million was spent by the top five oil companies in one year. BP has the highest annual expenditure on climate lobbying at $53 million, followed by Shell at $49 million, ExxonMobil at $41 million, Chevron and Total each spend $29 million. InfluenceMap says that part of the spending goes towards sophisticated efforts to engage politicians and the general public on environmental policies. An example of this is BP using social media and advertising that reframe the climate crisis as a “dual” energy challenge. Fossil fuel companies show they are using shareholder money for these expenditures.
The research also found that the five companies supported branding activities that suggest they support action against climate change. For example, they draw attention to low carbon, positioning the company as a climate expert and acknowledging climate concern while ignoring solutions. The campaigns mislead the public given that the companies listed continue to expand their oil and gas extraction activities with only 3% of spending directed to low-carbon projects. Even though these companies say they are cutting carbon they aren’t doing it very aggressively. And they are actually delaying climate action. So much for low-carbon energy and being concerned about their role in climate change.
Our Tax Dollars Fund Carbon Subsidies
Keep in mind that at the same time fossil fuel companies are spending tens of millions of dollars to pull the wool over our eyes, our tax dollars are subsidizing their corporations! And, the federal government is paying fossil fuel companies subsidies of over $10 billion a year. Why not eliminate the subsidies, especially since they already show incredible profits? Oil, coal, and gas companies paid out more than $350 million in campaign contributions in one year. That’s enough to keep any politician beholden to supporting fossil fuels in return. The subsidies don’t include the $200 billion that we pay for the added costs to taxpayers for worse wildfires, droughts, hurricanes, and flooding, which are all amplified by climate change.
Follow The Money
Let’s follow the money. Big oil, coal, and gas companies contribute millions to our elected officials’ campaigns. Our elected officials give our hard-earned money to oil, coal, and gas companies as subsidies. The oil, coal, and gas companies spend their profits on disinformation campaigns to hoodwink us to delay action on climate change. Thank you, American taxpayer.
So, when you start gathering your W-2s to do your taxes and look at your income tax bill, remember that you are actively contributing to keeping things just as they are.
