The UN Secretary-General on Wednesday accused major oil companies of spreading a “big lie” about the impact of their activities on global warming.
Antonio Guterres compared the actions of these companies to what the tobacco industry did by minimizing the risks it posed to human health.
The statement comes days after the publication of a study pointing out that the American giant ExxonMobil knew about the negative impact of the use of fossil fuels on the planet four decades ago.
“Some fossil fuel producers were fully aware in the 1970s that their main product was going to warm the planet. But, like the tobacco industry, they underestimated their own science. Some oil giants sold the big lie,” he said. Guterres at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
A study published in the journal Science last week revealed that ExxonMobil disregarded its own scientists’ findings about the role of fossil fuels in climate change.
“Like the tobacco industry, those responsible must be punished”, added the UN secretary general, referring to the US$ 246 billion that US tobacco companies had to agree to pay, in 1998, to 46 states, over 25 years, to cover expenses in treating the illnesses of ex-smokers.
“Fossil fuel producers and those who support them continue to struggle to increase production even more, knowing that their economic model is incompatible with the survival of humanity,” Guterres criticized in Davos. “This madness surpasses science fiction, even though we know that ecosystem collapse is pure scientific fact,” he insisted, warning that “we are on the verge of a climate disaster.”
The UN secretary-general has criticized the “dubious” climate commitments of many companies in their zero-carbon target. This “misleads consumers, investors and regulators with false information”, he reiterated, mentioning companies’ “greenwashing” campaigns, a term in English that consists of maintaining an ecological discourse while promoting the use of fossil fuels.
In this regard, the UN chief asked business leaders present in Davos to present, by the end of the year, “credible and transparent” plans on how to reduce their emissions.
Asked about the report of sciencean ExxonMobil spokesperson said last week that the issue has come up several times over the past few years and that, in each case, the company’s response has been that “those who talk about how ‘Exxon knew’ are wrong in their conclusions”.
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