Big Oil CEOs Will Testify before Congress This Month

Opinions, Policy, UK (United Kingdom)

October 13, 2021

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by Maxine Joselow (Washington Post) The CEOs of six major fossil fuel companies and trade associations will testify at a blockbuster hearing this month about their role in spreading climate disinformation, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) confirmed to The Climate 202.

“In the history of Congress, the fossil fuel executives have never come before the committee … to explain climate disinformation and address the climate crisis. That will change,” Khanna, who chairs the Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Environment, said in an interview.

The context: Khanna and Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.) sent letters last month to the executives of ExxonMobil, BP, Chevron, Shell Oil, the American Petroleum Institute and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce asking them to testify about their reported efforts to mislead the public about climate change.

API has said CEO Mike Sommers “welcomes the opportunity to testify” at the Oct. 28 hearing. But until now, it was unclear whether the other CEOs would show up.
Oil company executives previously declined invitations from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) to testify before the Senate Budget Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee, respectively.

But Khanna has threatened to subpoena the executives this time around. And the threat alone appears to have worked.

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The Climate 202 reached out to all six companies and trade associations that received letters from the Oversight Committee:

BP said in a statement that Chairman and President Dave Lawler plans to testify, adding that the company is “actively advocating” for climate policies such as carbon pricing and methane regulations.
Chamber of Commerce spokesman Matt Letourneau said that President and CEO Suzanne Clark “plans to participate in the hearing” and will discuss the Chamber’s “work to forge bipartisan solutions to our climate challenge.”
API spokeswoman Bethany Aronhalt said that “API welcomes the opportunity to testify again before the House Oversight Committee and advance our priorities of pricing carbon, regulating methane and reliably producing American energy.”
Chevron spokesman Braden Reddall said: “As we informed the committee, Chevron is committed to participating.”
Both Shell and Exxon confirmed via email they were cooperating with the investigation.

Big Tobacco parallels:

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In an explosive secret recording released in June by Greenpeace UK, Exxon lobbyist Keith McCoy admitted that the company has relied on “shadow groups” to fight government efforts to address climate change.

BP, Shell Leaders to Face Congress Over Alleged Climate Cover-Up (Bloomberg)

PROBING OIL MARKETING: (Politico’s Morning Energy)

Excerpt from Politico’s Morning Energy: PROBING OIL MARKETING: Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee are asking five public relations firms and the American Petroleum Institute to cough up internal documents detailing the work they did for fossil fuel companies.

The committee asked API, FTI Consulting, Story Partners, DDC Advocacy, Blue Advertising and Singer Associates to submit documents and information related to the firms’ work on marketing or influence campaigns by June 27.

The request stems from the episode last year when former Exxon Mobil lobbyist Keith McCoy was caught on video saying the company only backed a carbon tax for publicity and never pushed for one in discussions with lawmakers.

“The Committee seeks greater understanding of this cooperation among industry, trade associations and PR firms to influence public opinion and policymaking in ways that prevent the United States from addressing the climate crisis,” Chair Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif,), chair of its oversight panel, wrote. Read the letters here.

In a statement, API spokesperson Megan Bloomgren said with record inflation and rising energy costs, “we need solutions to unlock more American energy to keep the lights on and meet demand while reducing U.S. emissions. And that’s exactly what our industry has been focused on. Any suggestion to the contrary is false.” READ MORE

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