WASHINGTON, D.C. — At today’s historic House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing, the leading executives of ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and BP America, as well as the American Petroleum Institute and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, refused to commit under oath, during questioning from Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney (NY) and others, that their companies would stop spending money to oppose efforts to reduce emissions and combat climate change.
In response, Richard Wiles, Executive Director of the Center for Climate Integrity, released the following statement:
“The silence, non-answers, and repeated deflections from Big Oil’s Slippery Six exposed once and for all that the fossil fuel industry won’t back off its commitment to spreading climate disinformation and lobbying against climate action in order to protect their bottom line.
“For the first time ever, fossil fuel executives were confronted under oath with the evidence of their industry’s decades-long efforts to deceive the American people about climate change. They not only refused to accept responsibility for lying about the catastrophic effects of their fossil fuels — they refused to stop funding efforts to spread disinformation and oppose climate action.
“There is no longer any question: these companies knew and lied about their product’s role in the climate crisis, they continue to deceive, and they must be held accountable. Today’s hearing and the committee’s ongoing investigation are important steps in those efforts.”