ExxonMobil spent decades lying about climate change while communities across the world have been forced to pay the price.
But now the oil giant engages in a different kind of deception: misleading consumers into thinking the company is heavily invested in climate solutions, even though only 2 percent of its capital expenditures are dedicated to clean energy technology, according to a lawsuit filed last week by the nonprofit group Beyond Pesticides.
Through “false and deceptive marketing,” ExxonMobil depicts itself as a market leader in developing and employing green technology, says the lawsuit. “Unfortunately for consumers, this impression does not match the truth,” it reads. “In actuality, ExxonMobil’s [renewable energy and carbon capture and storage] investments are minuscule compared to the size of its entire business … [and] dwarfed by its core business of traditional fossil fuel production — still considered by consumers to be a leading cause of climate change.”
The lawsuit asks the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to order the fossil fuel behemoth to cease its deceptive marketing, which it says violates the District’s consumer protection laws.
“Deceiving the public into believing that one of the largest petroleum companies in the world is committed to solving the climate crisis, while it continues to devastate the planet, is dangerous and inexcusable, especially given what’s at stake,” said Jay Feldman, the executive director of Beyond Pesticides in a press release.
He’s right of course. With communities facing billions of dollars in bills from climate change, it’s beyond time that Exxon and the other Big Oil companies that knew their products would cause this crisis — but lied to the public to protect their profits — are held accountable.
Image by Thomas Hawk on flickr.