ExxonMobil and climate change

May 10, 2024 Editorial

Kaieteur News – Darren Woods is the typical ExxonMobil CEO when climate change issues are scrutinized. He weaves a web about who is responsible, and who should lead the way in doing something about the concerns. He is always sensible and skillful enough, though, to distance ExxonMobil’s role, is content to wait on others, be a follower. ExxonMobil is proud to be the leader in just about all oil and gas enterprises. When climate change, however, is the matter on the table, the company’s executives have denied and dodged, or erected any convenient smokescreen that is available. In this regard, Mr. Woods is just as committed as Rex Tillerson and Lee Raymond, and those before them. Their sworn mission in life as CEO of the largest non-state oil and gas company in the world has always been: Standard Oil first, Exxon first, ExxonMobil first.

When climate change dangers and concerns mounted, ExxonMobil did not quibble. All those talking about greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, and global warming were engaging in voodoo science, perpetuating a hoax. It helped that stalwarts in the Republican Party in the US have always had the back of the company. They run interference for it, and block or water down legislation of significance that offered some chance to combat the issues. Members of the Democratic Party from US oil and gas producing States knew what buttered their bread, provided jobs, and enhanced their constituents and communities. Therefore, when different American presidents did make the effort to do something meaningful about climate change, they encountered severe pushback from their own congress people and senators. For the most part, ExxonMobil had key people in both political parties under tight control.

When the science behind climate change dangers could not be denied anymore, ExxonMobil cleverly changed its strategies and methods, and with that the company’s authorized spokespeople refined their public postures and vocabulary. In brief, the new mantra of ExxonMobil amounted to this: we are all in this together, so we all must band together to bring about the desired objectives. At the same time, the company’s army of well-paid off lobbyists and its stable of scientists on retainer worked behind the scenes to thwart or gut any pending legislation that could contribute to achieving net zero visions and the world being in a better position by 2050. Climate change science was not being openly scoffed at these days, but the company’s people were busy running a guerilla operation to sabotage laws, rules, and regulations. Ones that give the world an opportunity to stay the clock of the ticking atmospheric bomb with which the global population now coexist in increasing nervousness. From the first seasons of climate change anxieties, ExxonMobil has stood out for running a two-track culture and operation. Play a game in public to mislead the world and push secretly to foster counter narratives to defeat climate change menaces. We at this paper are not convinced that ExxonMobil is genuinely committed to doing all that it can to introduce and accelerate vital climate change defenses. National governments have been stonewalled, political and business leaders influenced, regulatory bodies defanged, and all for what is the alpha and omega for ExxonMobil: profits, ballooning and bursting income and cash flow statements.

Now, the same Darren Woods has come up with a new strategy, what is another delaying, self-serving scheme when stripped of its pretenses. There is a cost to achieve climate change goals, and it is extremely steep. It is another branch of all are in this together, all must pull together. ExxonMobil is never less than totally committed to being number one in anything with which it is associated. Number one in technology and number one in profits. Suddenly and conveniently, ExxonMobil is content to be part of the pack when the cost of climate change is where participants must show their hand. Strangely, ExxonMobil and Darren Woods are talking effusively about ‘we’, about readiness to share the burden of climate change costs. Even the public was not spared, for according to Woods, sacrifices must be made, and consumption habits and patterns must change. After almost a century and a half of endangering the world, ExxonMobil is calling for others to save it.

CEO, Darren Woods, executives, ExxonMobil, Lee Raymond

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ExxonMobil and climate change

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ExxonMobil and climate change

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