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‘Big oil peddled the big lie’ – UN Chief
– Condemns Exxon for ignoring its own global warming predictions
Kaieteur News – Days after American oil giant, ExxonMobil came under the spotlight for ignoring its own climate science predictions; United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last Wednesday condemned the energy giant, adding that, “some in big oil peddle the big lie.”
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
Guterres was at the time giving a special address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Last week, academics from Harvard and the University of Potsdam in Germany published a study in the journal Science with evidence that Exxon’s scientists in the 1970’s accurately predicted global heating. The oil giant has since denied the accusations.
CNBC reported that the phrase and hashtag “ExxonKnew” have become a rallying cry after previous reporting from Inside Climate News and others showing that Exxon publicly contradicted its own understanding of climate science. However, in response Exxon said the “ExxonKnew” movement is a “coordinated campaign” working to “stigmatize” the oil company, “creating the false appearance that ExxonMobil has misrepresented its company research and investor disclosures on climate change to the public.”
During his address Guterres said, “Every week brings a new climate horror story greenhouse gas emissions are at record levels and growing.” The UN Chief added that the commitment to limit global temperature rise to 1.4 degrees Celsius, in accordance with the target set in the 2015 Paris Agreement, “is going up in smoke.”
Without further action humanity can face a global temperature increase of 2.8 degree Celsius, pointing out that the consequences of such temperature levels would be “devastating.”
“Several parts of our planets will be inhabitable and for many it will mean a death sentence but this is not a surprise, the science have been clear for decades and I am not only talking about UN scientist, I’m talking even about fossil fuel scientists,” he added.
Guterres highlighted that last week, it was disclosed that “certain” fossil fuel producers were aware in the 70’s that their core products “was baking our planet and just like the tobacco industry, they rode rough-shod over their own science.”
“Some in big oil peddle the big lie,” the UN Chief said.
To this end, he added that like the tobacco industry those responsible must be held accountable. He noted that amid a global recession, the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation resulting in high cost of living, soaring energy prices, and other existential crisis, “We are flirting with climate disaster.”
The UN Chief highlighted too that, “fossil fuel producers and their enablers are still racing to expand production knowing fully well that these business models are inconsistent with human survival.”
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