ExxonMobil lobbyists filmed saying oil giant's support for carbon tax a PR ploy

[Judi Lynn]

Undercover reporter hears company worked to undermine Biden efforts and funded shadow groups to deny global heating

Chris McGreal
Wed 30 Jun 2021 15.00 EDT

Lobbyists for ExxonMobil have described the oil giant’s backing for a carbon tax as a public relations ploy intended to stall more serious measures to combat the climate crisis.

Two senior lobbyists based in Washington told an undercover reporter for Unearthed, the investigative journalism branch of Greenpeace, that they worked to undermine Joe Biden’s plans to limit greenhouse emissions and other environmental measures in his infrastructure bill.

One of the lobbyists also admitted that Exxon “aggressively” fought against climate science and funded shadow groups to deny global heating.

Keith McCoy, a senior director in Exxon’s Washington government affairs team, was recorded on video in May saying that the company backs a carbon tax “as an easy talking point” and an “advocacy tool” because “there is not an appetite for a carbon tax” and that Republican legislators who oppose taxes in principle will never let it happen.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2021/jun/30/mediterranean-diet-with-oily-fish-could-help-reduce-migraine-frequency

[Judi Lynn]

1. Inside Exxon's playbook: How America's biggest oil company continues to oppose action on climate cha

Inside Exxon’s playbook: How America’s biggest oil company continues to oppose action on climate change

Image: Emily Buchanan

ExxonMobil aims to drastically weaken Biden’s climate plans and used shadow groups to ‘aggressively’ fight climate science, insider tells undercover reporter

06hLawrence Carter

ExxonMobil continues to fight efforts to tackle climate change in the United States, despite publicly claiming to support the Paris climate agreement, an undercover investigation by Unearthed has found.

A senior lobbyist for Exxon told an undercover reporter that the company had been working to weaken key aspects of President Joe Biden’s flagship initiative on climate change, the American Jobs Plan.

He described Biden’s new plan to slash US greenhouse gas emissions as “insane” and admitted that the company had aggressively fought early climate science through “shadow groups” to protect its investments.

Keith McCoy – a senior director in Exxon’s Washington DC government affairs team – told the undercover reporter that he is speaking to the office of influential Democratic senator Joe Manchin every week, with the aim of drastically reducing the scope of Biden’s climate plan so that “negative stuff”, such as rules limiting greenhouse gas emissions and taxes on oil companies, are removed.

More:
https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2021/06/30/exxon-climate-change-undercover/

[hatrack]

2. Gosh, what a shock!

Same old same old same old shit.

ExxonMobil will do something about climate about ten years after their Houston HQ gets flattened by an 800-milibar hurricane.