Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

Exxon suspended from climate advocacy group it helped form

Shown is an Exxon service station sign in Philadelphia, Wednesday, April 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Shown is an Exxon service station sign in Philadelphia, Wednesday, April 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Share

Exxon Mobil Corp was suspended from advocacy group Climate Leadership Council (CLC) that looks to make policies to address climate change, the CLC said on Friday.

The move comes a little over a month after an Exxon lobbyist said the company supports a carbon tax publicly because the plan to curb climate change would never gain enough political support to be adopted. Exxon Chief Executive Officer Darren Woods had condemned the comments.

"After careful consideration, we have decided to suspend ExxonMobil's membership in both the Council and Americans for Carbon Dividends, our advocacy arm," CLC CEO Greg Bertelsen said in a statement.

Exxon was a founding member of the group along with ConocoPhillips, BP, Shell and Total .

The CLC's decision marks a u-turn after it supported the oil major in June after the lobbyist's comments.

Exxon said in a statement the CLC's decision was "disappointing and counterproductive."

"It's more important than ever for organizations to work together to advance meaningful policy solutions to address shared challenges and society's net-zero ambitions," it said.

The company said it would continue to be a part of the Alliance for Market Solutions, an organization that also works to try and reduce carbon pollution.

The non-profit organization World Resources Institute (WRI), a CLC member, said Exxon was not aligned with the council's push to put a price on carbon as a key response to the climate crisis.

"We welcome CLC's separation from Exxon," the institute's CEO, Ani Dasgupta, said in a note, while calling on companies to support a price on carbon in any future legislation that advances in Congress.

"We urge all companies to re-examine their lobbying, political spending and participation in trade associations to ensure that their actions are fully aligned with their public statements on climate change," Dasgupta said.

(Reporting by Arathy S Nair and Sahil Shaw in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Sabrina Valle in Houston; Editing by Aditya Soni and Kenneth Maxwell)

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.

A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

Stay Connected