Drilled S14, Ep5 | How the Fossil Fuel Industry Sabotages Climate Action
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Oct 7, 2025 Kert Davies, Director at the Center for Climate Integrity, Geoff Dembicki, Global Managing Editor at DeSmog, and Kristoffer Ekberg, an Associate Senior Lecturer at Lund University, dive deep into the fossil fuel industry's elaborate tactics of climate obstruction. They explore the shift from outright denial to subtler forms of obfuscation, the use of corporate partnerships with academia to shape narratives, and how economic scare tactics have influenced public perception. The discussion also touches on the industry's role in international agreements and the recent rise of blatant denial in politics.
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Net Zero As A Strategic Veneer
- After Paris, oil companies embraced 'net zero' language to appear aligned with global climate norms while avoiding real commitments.
- Kristoffer Ekberg and Geoff Dembicki note companies used the term to stay 'in the game' without cutting production.
Tactics Shift Based On Political Context
- The industry cycles between denial, delay, and co-optation depending on context rather than following a linear progression.
- Geoff Dembicki emphasizes companies build expertise to lead whichever debate serves their continued production.
Denial By Denying Urgency
- Denial now often takes the form of denying urgency or necessary production cuts rather than denying basic science.
- Kert Davies and Kristoffer Ekberg call this 'implicatory' or refusal-style denial that preserves production.