Fossil fuel giants exposed using arts sponsorships to undermine climate action

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🗞️ Driving the news: Newly subpoenaed internal documents have revealed how major fossil fuel companies — including BP, Shell, Chevron, and the American Petroleum Institute (API) — strategically used cultural sponsorships to bolster public trust and block climate policy
• These sponsorships, presented as community goodwill initiatives, were leveraged to influence policymakers, mitigate litigation risks, and sustain fossil fuel operations despite worsening climate impacts

🔭 The context: The documents, released as part of a U.S. Congressional investigation into climate disinformation, span from 2015 to 2021 and shed light on how oil companies sought to shape public opinion and maintain political access
• Despite public commitments to climate action, these firms continued investing in oil and gas expansion while lobbying against regulations like methane limits and fracking bans through trade groups such as API and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: This revelation underscores a coordinated effort to delay climate action while maintaining fossil fuel profitability
• Sponsorships of institutions like museums, schools, and cultural festivals created an illusion of corporate responsibility while these companies actively undermined climate legislation
• The findings challenge the credibility of fossil fuel firms’ climate pledges and highlight the urgency of regulatory reform to ensure transparency and accountability

⏭️ What's next: Several states and municipalities are suing BP, Shell, Chevron, and API for alleged climate deception, bolstered by these new documents
• Meanwhile, growing public pressure is prompting cultural institutions to sever ties with fossil fuel sponsors
• Legislative and judicial scrutiny of corporate greenwashing and climate disinformation is expected to intensify, especially as global temperatures and disaster costs escalate

💬 One quote: “Big Oil exploits its partnerships with some of America’s most trusted institutions, to greenwash its image, block progress on climate safety, and avoid accountability.” — Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

📈 One stat: Chevron’s support for Hurricane Helene disaster relief totalled $250,000 — compared to the storm’s $59.6 billion in damages, which scientists estimate were up to 500 times more likely due to fossil fuel-driven climate change.

See on illuminem's Data Hub™ the sustainability performance of BP, Shell, Chevron, ExxonMobil and its peers TotalEnergies, ConocoPhillips, Equinor

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