Exxon may have been more aware of the history of climate change than previously thought. Several states sued Exxon, claiming that their cases were strengthened.
Exxon climate scientists correctly and skillfully predicted rising global temperatures starting in the 1970s. This was despite the fact that projections made by outside scientists often match or exceed the accuracy of Exxon’s.
Geoffrey Supran was the lead author of the new study. The data was taken from a variety of internal documents. He said that it was “breathtaking to see Exxon projections so closely align with what happened.
Exxon executives have spent decades downplaying and denying the climate effect of their business practices. This helped to stymie any efforts to reduce the use fossil fuels and stop dangerous global warming. Rex Tillerson was Exxon’s chief executive in 2013. He stated that climate models were “not competent” or “not that great”.
Exxon and other oil companies have been sued by more than a dozen states, municipalities, and trade associations. They claim that they concealed their knowledge of climate change and committed fraud or false advertisement. Many Exxon supporters now believe that their legal pursuit of Exxon has been aided by the most recent analysis of the company’s climate science work.
Matthew Platkin, New Jersey attorney general, stated to the Guardian that the study’s findings “expand the strong public record of deceit surrounding the fossil fuel industry’s contribution to climate change and are consistent with our allegations in our lawsuit.” “This study only strengthens our resolve to hold them responsible in court.”
Keith Ellison’s spokesperson said that the new research “confirms” the need to hold defendants responsible for their deceit.
Many jurisdictions declined comment on the ongoing Exxon cases, including Delaware, New York City, and Massachusetts. The state’s supreme Court last year dismissed the company’s claim that it was being pursued politically. It must now face trial for violating consumer protection laws and misleading investors.
Exxon maintains that it follows the best science available at all times and has not lied to the public to protect its business model. Exxon’s chief executive, Darren Woods, stated that he doesn’t believe companies should lie. He also said that he would not tell you that. Woods stated that Exxon now acknowledges climate change as real and supports the Paris climate accord goals.
Texas-based oil company, Texas-based, has been in a long-running legal battle. In October, it announced a quarter-quarter profit of almost $20bn (PS16bn), nearly matching that of Apple’s earnings. It has tried to get the challenges dismissed in court or heard at the federal level in hopes of a more sympathetic outcome.
However, some legal experts warn that Exxon’s latest long-term knowledge about global heating, first reported to the public in 2015, could be a problem for the company.
“The new study provides additional quantifiable proof and a new level detail regarding the length and severity of the misinformation,” Karen Hutchinson (commercial litigation lawyer at UK law firm Stewarts) said.
Alyssa Johl is vice-president of legal for the Center for Climate Integrity. She stated that Exxon had “pretty much predicted these events with amazing accuracy.” This cannot be denied at this time.” Johl stated that research helped establish “two very important pieces of the puzzle” in the Exxon cases. Johl stated that Exxon knew the causes and effects of climate change, but actively denied them.
Exxon spokesmen said that the issue had been brought up many times in recent years. In each instance, our answer was the same: people who claim that Exxon knew something were wrong. Barry Ostrager, a New York judge found that Exxon executives were “uniformly dedicated to rigorously performing their duties in the most thorough and meticulous manner possible” in 2019.
Ed Garvey, a semi-retired geochemist, is not surprised by the claims Exxon knew about the climate emergency 40 years ago. He took carbon dioxide measurements from oil tankers and worked for Exxon between 1978 and 1983.
Garvey stated that both he and his colleagues from Exxon were aware of the problems of global warming within the first year. Garvey stated that Exxon employed top-level scientists and utilized cutting-edge technology in order to predict future temperatures trends. This was to be expected.
Garvey stated that Exxon’s scientific leaders saw it as a major deal that could have an impact on the company’s bottom line and potentially have global ramifications. “We believed we would tell the board that we could not continue in this manner and that Exxon might diversify.
“It was not in doubt to us that human activity was causing climate change. It is really shameful that they knew this and then decided to not change their course. It is beyond reproach. It’s beyond my comprehension.