Kathy Mulvey

Climate accountability campaign manager

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Kathy Mulvey leads strategic development of UCS’s climate corporate accountability campaign, guides engagement with corporate targets, builds national and international coalitions, and mobilizes experts and supporters. See Kathy's full bio.

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Shell sign in gas station
Photo: David Nagy CC-BY-SA-2.0 (Flickr)

Shell Knew About Climate Risks Since the 1980s, Will it Act Now?

April 6, 2018 12:04 PM EDT

The year is 1988. The Wonder Years debuts on TV, George Michael’s “Faith” tops the Billboard charts, gas costs $1.67 at the pump, the U.S. Surgeon General states that the addictive properties of nicotine are similar to those of heroin and cocaine, and Royal Dutch Shell writes a confidential report on climate science and its own role in global warming. This report is one of dozens of internal documents unearthed by journalist Jelmer Mommers of De Correspondent and posted this week on Climate Files that shed more light on what Shell knew decades ago about the risks of burning fossil fuels. Read more >

David Nagy
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Photo: Brian Katt

ExxonMobil’s Jekyll-and-Hyde Act: A Year in Holding Fossil Fuel Companies Accountable

January 24, 2018 11:47 AM EDT

Just a few weeks into the new year, ExxonMobil has turned the page on 2017—a year of significant gains for corporate climate accountability and significant setbacks for major fossil energy companies. However, some of these companies are aggressively fighting back, continuing to spread climate disinformation and refusing to plan for a low-carbon future. ExxonMobil, in particular, has moved toward countersuing California communities that are suing it and other fossil fuel producers over climate-related damages, and launched a webpage and video attacking the #ExxonKnew campaign. ExxonMobil’s retaliation against advocates for climate action and corporate accountability is a sure sign that our work is having an impact, and that now is the time to redouble our efforts.

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Courtesy of Public Citizen, Air Alliance Houston, and Center for Climate Integrity
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In Australia, Too, Shareholders Demand Climate Transparency from Fossil Fuel Companies

November 14, 2017 9:24 AM EDT

[Update December 19, 2017, 1:16pm] BHP Billiton Limited issued its promised report on the material differences between the company’s positions on climate and energy policy and the advocacy positions on climate and energy policy taken by industry associations to which BHP belongs. Based on its review, the company has decided to withdraw from the World Coal Association and to reconsider its membership in the US Chamber of Commerce. BHP will formally communicate with the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) over the inconsistencies between its position and those of the MCA, request that the MCA refrain from policy activity or advocacy in those area, and review its membership in the MCA if the association has not heeded that request within a year.

BHP’s report and the actions the company has taken based on it are a significant step forward for transparency and accountability of corporate lobbying. UCS and our supporters will be urging other major fossil fuel companies to match BHP’s disclosures and to ensure that the climate-related positions of their trade associations and industry groups are aligned with their own.

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Fig. 2 from Frumhoff, Heede, Oreskes (2015) based on data from Heede (2014)
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ExxonMobil Attacks New Study That Exposes Its Climate Deception…Again.

August 24, 2017 10:19 AM EDT

A new study concludes that ExxonMobil misled the public about climate change. ExxonMobil has already dismissed the study’s conclusions and questioned the authors’ motives. By insisting that it does not cover up climate science, ExxonMobil misrepresents the real issue: its failure to act on scientific knowledge of the devastating climate impacts of its product. Read more >

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Investors Want Transparency. ExxonMobil Offers Smoke and Mirrors

June 30, 2017 9:03 AM EDT

Yesterday, an industry-led task force issued final recommendations on how companies across all sectors should report on climate-related financial risks. ExxonMobil, which faced a shareholder rebellion on this issue at its annual meeting last month, could have seized the opportunity to welcome the recommendations and commit to improving its own reporting. Instead, the company released its 2016 Corporate Citizenship Report, revealing that ExxonMobil continues to funnel more than $1.5 million to groups that have spread disinformation on climate science and/or seek to block action on climate change. Read more >

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