Big Oil Is Engaging In Greenwashing Campaign & Failing To Reduce Emissions - US House Committee on Oversight and Reform

Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, issued a new report and documents  demonstrating how the oil and gas industry engages in "greenwashing" to hide long-term  financing in fossil fuels and inability to fruitfully cut emissions.

 The documents are part of the Committee's ongoing inquiry into the role of the fossil fuel sector  in promoting climate misinformation and hindering climate change action.

 "Traditional energy business competitors retreating" from oil and  gas, "Chevron's strategy" is to "continue to invest" in fossil fuels to capitalise on industry  consolidation. - Mike Wirth.

BP stated its intention to "significantly increase development in  regions with oil potential" and to "focus primarily on projects in current basins that generate the highest rate of return" - Q3 2017 Operational Performance Review for the lower 48 states.

 American Petroleum Institute’s 2021 Climate Action Framework was designed to "Maintain the marketing of natural gas in a carbon limited economy."

The industry's weak climate promises and commitment to emissions reductions are designed to allow Big Oil to continue raking in billions of dollars from the sale of fossil fuels for decades  to come.

Shell CEO Ben Van Beurden industry event "disingenuous" for "pointing out in front of the international press that if you  burden the gas value chain with all of the emission of the oil industry, it would put gas on a par  with coal."

A Shell executive conceded privately, "what precisely are we expected to do instead of divesting...?" throw concrete over the oil sands and burn the land deed so no one can acquire them?"

Exxon improperly censored responsive papers  from its Board of Directors, while Chevron, Shell, and BP withheld responsive information  without explanation.

Exxon wrongly accused a journalism student and her trainer of deception and ethical breaches in 2015, after her work led to press coverage of the fossil fuel industry—but company's internal papers obtained by the Committee demonstrate that Exxon's charges were untrue.

The fossil fuel industry has sought to keep the truth about its actions hidden by refusing to fully comply with the Committee's subpoenas and assaulting journalists who have exposed the  sector's behaviour. For e.g. the American Petroleum Institute hid information from its Executive Committee and Board of Directors in an unethical manner.

“Even though Big Oil CEOs admitted to my Committee that their products are causing a climate emergency, today’s documents reveal that the industry has no real plans to clean up its act and is barreling ahead with plans to pump more dirty fuels for decades to come,” said Chairwoman Maloney.

“We cannot tackle the climate crisis until we tackle the climate disinformation crisis.  Big Oil has misled the American public for decades about the reality of the climate crisis.  It’s past time to hold the entire industry accountable for its role in funding and facilitating that disinformation.” said Rep. Khanna.

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