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The leaders of the largest US oil groups have reported to elected officials in Congress. Democratic members of the House of Representatives asked them what efforts they are making against climate change, and especially how sincere their speech is.
With our correspondent in Washington, Guillaume Naudin
They are unanimous, the owners of the largest Western producers of fossil fuels. Climate change is bad for the planet and it is a priority for them. A priority that represents less than 10% of Chevron’s investments.
It is a priority, but there is no easy answer, explains in particular the boss of ExxonMobil. Like his counterpart at Chevron, he refuses to say that his group will reduce its production of gas and oil, both of which they believe are necessary to meet energy needs.
According to elected Democrats, the federation of petroleum industries has devoted only a small part of its lobbying efforts to renewable energies.
For the elected representatives of the majority party, it is even disinformation, because these large groups have, according to them, minimized the effects of climate change when they knew.
The bosses are happy to answer that they have evolved as scientific advances on the subject. An unsatisfactory response for elected officials, who compare this hearing to that of representatives of the tobacco industry. The latter, in the 1990s, refused to recognize the harmfulness of nicotine.
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