Oil majors shifting from greenwashing to fossil fuel advocacy, advertising study finds

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🗞️ Driving the news: A new study finds major oil companies, including Shell, ExxonMobil, BP and Chevron, are shifting messaging from climate leadership to defending ongoing fossil fuel use

🔭 The context: The report by Clean Creatives analyzed 1,859 advertisements (2020–2024), showing a clear evolution: from post-Paris Agreement green pledges to energy security narratives, and now toward framing fossil fuels as essential for economic stability and modern life

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: This shift risks normalising long-term fossil fuel dependence, potentially delaying decarbonisation
• Messaging that promotes gas as a “bridge fuel” or highlights carbon capture may extend emissions-intensive systems rather than accelerate the transition to renewables

⏭️ What’s next: Scrutiny of corporate communications is likely to intensify, with regulators, investors and civil society focusing more on greenwashing, and now “gaslighting”, risks in energy sector narratives

💬 One quote: “Companies that once competed to look green are now competing to make fossil fuel dependence look reasonable.” — Clean Creatives

📈 One stat: The study analyzed 1,859 oil and gas advertisements across global platforms between 2020 and 2024

See on illuminem's Data Hub™ the sustainability performance — carbon credit purchases, total emissions, and climate targets of thousands of companies

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