Big Oil’s Climate Deception Explained in 101 Documents (1957–2026)
For decades, fossil fuel industry leaders were warned that, unless action was taken, communities across the globe would suffer catastrophic harms caused by their products. What they did with that knowledge is the story of the most consequential corporate deception campaign in world history.
Climate Fraud 101 highlights decades of Big Oil’s climate lies through 101 documents showing that the industry knew and lied about its central role in the climate crisis.
Document 2: Edward Teller’s Address at the API Symposium Energy and Man, "Energy Patterns of the Future"
Document 4: Speech by API President Frank Ikard, "Meeting the Challenges of 1966"
Document 5: SRI report, Sources, Abundance, and Fate of Gaseous Atmospheric Pollutants & 1969 Supplement
Document 6: Patents for equipment filed by Esso (Exxon), Chevron, and Texaco
Document 7: Memo on 1977 Presentation by Exxon scientist James Black, "The Greenhouse Effect"
Document 10: Exxon Memo from Roger Cohen and Duane Levine, Summarizing Climate Modeling and CO₂ Greenhouse Effect Research
Document 11: API Report, "Climate Models and CO₂ Warming: A Selective Review and Summary"
Document 12: Exxon Memo from W. L. Ferral with attached report, "Controlling the CO₂ Concentration in the Atmosphere"
Document 13: Exxon Memo from Henry Shaw, "Research in Atmospheric Science"
Document 14: Exxon Memo from H. N. Weinberg, "CO₂ Greenhouse Communications Plan"
Document 15: Exxon Report, "Atmospheric CO₂ Scoping Study"
Document 18: Exxon Memo to Management with Attached Briefing Report, "CO₂ Greenhouse Effect: A Technical Review"
Document 20: Exxon Henry Shaw Presentation, "CO₂ Greenhouse and Climate Issues"
Document 21: Shell Confidential Report, "The Greenhouse Effect"
Document 22: Shell Confidential Group Planning Scenarios, "1989-2010: Challenge and Response"
Document 23: Shell Snippets of Confidential "UK Scenarios 1989: Has the Biggest Challenge Begun?"
Document 24: Article from The New York Times, "Greenhouse Effect: Shell Anticipates a Sea Change"
Document 25: Exxon Memo from Joseph Carlson with Attached Draft Report, "The Greenhouse Effect"
Document 29: Shell Report, "The Enhanced Greenhouse Effect: A review of the Scientific Aspects"
Document 30: Excerpt from API Book, Reinventing Energy: Making the Right Choices
Document 33: Exxon Corporation Publication by Chairman Lee Raymond, "Climate Change: don't ignore the facts"
Document 35: Sable Project Development Plan: Environmental Impact Statement
Document 36: Global Climate Coalition Backgrounder: An Overview and Attached Reports
Document 37: Global Climate Coalition Communications Program Prepared for the GCC Board
Document 38: Global Climate Coalition Pamphlet, Climate Change: Your Passport to the Facts
Document 39: Global Climate Coalition Pamphlet, What The Experts Say About Global Climate Change
Document 41: Global Climate Coalition Final Draft Primer, "Predicting Future Climate Change: A Primer"
Document 42: Global Climate Coalition February STAC Committee Meeting Minutes Summary, including Review of Draft Primer
Document 43: Global Climate Coalition Publication, Issues & Options: Potential Global Climate Change
Document 44: E. Bruce Harrison One-Pager, "Case Histories: Media Relations for The Global Climate Coalition"
Document 45: Remarks by John Browne, BP Group Chief Executive, at Stanford University, "Climate Change Speech"
Document 49: Collection of weekly Mobil advertorials in The New York Times
Document 51: Shell Report, Climate Change: What does Shell think and do about it?
Document 52: Shell Sustainability Report, Profits and Principles – does there have to be a choice?
Document 53: Shell Confidential Report, "Group Scenarios 1998–2020"
Document 54: API Memo from William O'Keefe with Attached Final Draft "Coordinated Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan"
Document 55: API Draft "Global Climate Science Communications Action Plan"
Document 56: API PR Statement from Joe Walker to Climate science discussion participants on API Response to Media Inquiries
Document 57: API 2000 Budget Document, "Strategic Issue – Climate Change"
Document 68: API Climate Challenge: A Progress Report
Document 73: Remarks by Carl-Henric Svanberg, BP Chairman, at the Nobel Week Dialogue in Sweden, "Energy Scenarios and Timescales"
Document 75: Compilation of documents and correspondence between ExxonMobil and Dr. Wei Hock “Willie” Soon
Document 76: FTI Consulting Technical Paper, "Managing Aboveground Risks: Experience from the United States"
Document 77: Western States Petroleum Association Presentation, "WSPA Priority Issues"
Document 78: BP Document, “Proposed questions by the students attending tomorrow’s dinner” [BPA_HCOR_00041460]
Document 79: BP Carbon Solutions Group Technology Confidential Presentation, “CO₂ Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS): Overview of the technology components, policy and value proposition” [BPA_HCOR_00037840]
Document 81: BBDO Creative Brief for ExxonMobil, "CCS Technology" [EM-HCOR3-00298426]
Document 83: BP Confidential Draft, “Upstream communication campaign framework: Gas and methane” [BPA_HCOR_00306762]
Document 84: BP email exchanges between Randy Davis, Joe Ellis, and Robert Stout [BPA_HCOR_00264915] [BPA_HCOR_00244435]
Document 85: BP presentation, “Gas: the destination fuel”, by Bob Stout [BPA_HCOR_00280577]
Document 88: Shell email from Curtis Smith to Frans Everts, Subject: “WA State Reax Summary” [SOC-HCOR-376287]
Document 89: ExxonMobil Corporate Strategic Planning memo from Peter Trelenberg to Darren Woods [EM-HCOR3-00064980]
Document 91: BP email from Sarah Lucas to Rob Stout, “Subject: RE: Lund op ed” [BPA_HCOR_00073042]
Document 92: Shell creative brief, "Energy Transitions Towards Net Zero Emissions (NZE)"
Document 94: BP email exchange in response to inquiry from The Guardian, Subject: "FW: EU 2050 Emissions” [BPA_HCOR_00105125]
Document 95: Leaked BP/WPP Presentation, "BP Creative Workshop Briefing Document"
Document 96: Shell 2021 Energy Transition Strategy Report
Document 100: API "Agenda For Affordable, Reliable & Secure American Energy"
Document 101: Shell The 2026 Energy Security Scenarios: Challenges to the transition