Big Oil CEOs Continue to Dodge Accountability for Climate Disinformation

Washington, DC -- Today, Big Oil executives testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform in a hearing about the industry’s role in spreading disinformation about fossil fuels’ contribution to the climate crisis. 

At the hearing, the CEOs of some of the nation’s biggest oil and gas polluters, including ExxonMobil, BP America, Chevron, and Shell, as well as the American Petroleum Institute and U.S. Chamber of Commerce, dodged questions about whether climate change poses an existential threat to our society and whether fossil fuels are a leading cause of this crisis. They also refused to commit to winding down production of fossil fuels, despite the scientific consensus that stopping fossil fuel expansion immediately is necessary to stay within 1.5 degrees of warming. 

In response, Sierra Club Deputy Legislative Director Mahyar Sorour released the following statement: 

“Today’s hearing made it clearer than ever that Congress must prioritize eliminating the billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded handouts the fossil fuel industry currently receives. Big Oil has spent decades and tens of millions of dollars working to deceive the public and spread disinformation about fossil fuels’ contribution to climate change. Now, in the face of irrefutable evidence that the only way to avert the worst of the climate crisis is to immediately stop the expansion of fossil fuel production, Big Oil executives are seeking to greenwash their activities and continue to mislead the American people about their role in this crisis. 

“We applaud Representatives Maloney and Khanna for their leadership in holding Big Oil accountable at today’s hearing, and we urge members of Congress to continue seeking accountability, first and foremost by eliminating the subsidies that are continuing to prop up this destructive industry.”