Companies spend a lot of money on advertising and messaging in order to appear more climate conscious. ExxonMobil is one big oil company to announce that it aims to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. But Exxon's plans only cover scope one and scope two emissions, meaning it will not cover its biggest carbon impact. Consumers burning the fossil fuel that it generates are called Scope 3 emissions. I asked Christina Rina what she thinks about the net zero pledges from fossil fuel producers.
For years, fossil fuel companies have claimed to support climate science and policy. Many have recently pledged to hit net zero emissions by midcentury. Yet behind the scenes, they fight those very same policies through industry associations, shadow groups, and lobbying – all while spending vast sums on advertising and PR campaigns touting their climate commitments. This week we focus on the PR and consultancy firms helping fossil fuel companies delay the transition to clean energy while claiming they are on the side of climate protection.
Guests:
Michael Forsythe, Reporter, New York Times
Dr. Benjamin Franta, Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Climate Litigation Lab, Oxford Sustainable Law Programme.
Jamie Henn, Founder and Director, Fossil Free Media
Christine Arena, former Executive Vice President, Edelman; Founder, Generous Films
For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.
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