Under oath and facing harsh questioning, the heads of some of the world’s largest oil companies denied Thursday they knew their products were driving climate.
change and lied about it, saying they acted in good faith to cut emissions and were merely following the science at the time.
“You are powerful leaders at the top of the corporate world at a turning point for our planet. Be better,” he said. “Spare us the spin today, really we have no interest in it.” Eager to portray themselves as dealing proactively with global warming, the CEOs emphasized the voluntary steps they’ve already taken. As public consensus about human-caused climate change has hardened in recent years, major energy companies have heavily publicized their limited investments in clean energy sources and embraced some government steps to curb emissions, such as putting a price on carbon and regulating methane.
The immediate trigger for Thursday’s hearing was a scandal in July over an undercover video of an Exxon lobbyist detailing the company’s lobbying efforts against action on climate change. But congressional Democrats have wanted to grill Big Oil executives on climate for some time. This was the first time the CEOs have been under oath for a hearing focused on climate disinformation.
“The purpose of this hearing is clear: to deliver partisan theater for prime-time news” Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said. Khanna also tried without success to enlist the companies to tell their lobby group — the American Petroleum Institute, whose CEO also testified — to stop opposing electric vehicles.
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