March 19, 2021 1:23 PM EDT
Soon it will be annual general meeting (AGM) season. Much like last year, UCS will be attending the annual meetings virtually due to the pandemic. I’ll be addressing three broad themes here – EU versus US climate action, the need for climate lobbying disclosure, and Chevron and ExxonMobil’s fight to not be the worst. Read more >
March 8, 2021 12:06 PM EDT
Climate risk, be it physical risk from climate impacts or financial risks associated with the transition to a low-carbon economy, poses a systemic threat to the US and global economy. Corporate America, particularly the fossil fuel industry, is both contributing to climate risks and facing climate risks—which seems like a paradox the industry should pay closer attention to. The accurate and comparable disclosure of climate risks is a necessary first step in the swift and deep decarbonization that is necessary to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Disclosure on its own is not enough, as there is no silver bullet to eliminate climate risk, but disclosure is a vital part of a necessary climate package. And disclosure has real-world positive impacts for communities, investors, and the everyday person. Read more >
October 29, 2020 12:49 PM EDT
In an unexpectedly less terrible turn of events, 2020 has seen several oil and gas companies announce more ambitious climate targets. Just last week, ConocoPhillips released a new “net-zero” climate ambition, becoming the first US oil and gas company to do so. While that breakthrough looks impressive at first glance, we’ve found some glaring deficiencies in the company’s recent announcement. Read more >
October 22, 2020 12:00 PM EDT
After decades of public denial, ExxonMobil now acknowledges that “the risk of climate change is real” and says it is “committed to being part of the solution,” at least according to the company’s website and statements. Read more >
July 31, 2020 11:44 AM EDT
Earlier this year, we promised to watch fossil fuel companies’ statements and actions carefully over the annual general meeting season. A diverse array of climate-related issues were again on company agendas at this year’s annual meetings. The recent shift from financial institutions, even if small, speaks to climate activism’s influence, but if climate activism has taught us anything, it’s that words without actions do not and cannot count as progress to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Read more >
