ExxonMobil's Covert Campaign in Latin America: Uncovered Documents Reveal Climate Change Denial Efforts

In the late 1990s, ExxonMobil, one of the world's largest oil corporations, covertly financed efforts to disseminate climate change denial across Latin America, aiming to weaken support for United Nations-led climate treaties in developing nations.

Recently uncovered documents reveal that ExxonMobil collaborated with the Atlas Network—a coalition of over 500 free-market think tanks—to spread climate misinformation in Latin America. This strategic initiative involved translating denialist literature into Spanish and Chinese, organizing events featuring American climate skeptics, and engaging with local media and policymakers to erode support for international climate agreements.

Background

ExxonMobil has a documented history of funding organizations that challenge the scientific consensus on climate change. Between 1998 and 2004, the company granted $16 million to advocacy organizations disputing the impact of global warming. The Atlas Network, founded in 1981 by British entrepreneur Antony Fisher, is a U.S.-based coalition comprising over 500 free-market think tanks worldwide. The network aims to promote individual liberty, free markets, and limited government. In this context, it facilitated the dissemination of climate change denial materials and organized events to influence public opinion in Latin America.

Financial Contributions

In 1998, ExxonMobil issued a $50,000 check to the Atlas Network, equivalent to approximately $100,000 today. This funding supported various activities, including translating climate denial literature into Spanish and Chinese, organizing events featuring American climate skeptics in Latin American cities, and facilitating interactions between these skeptics and local media and policymakers.

Specific Initiatives

• Translation of Denial Literature: The funds enabled the Spanish translation of Fred Singer's booklet, "The Scientific Case Against the Global Climate Treaty," which argued against the scientific consensus on climate change.

• Public Events and Seminars: Atlas Network partners, such as Fundación República para una Nueva Generación in Argentina and Instituto Liberal in Brazil, organized seminars and public events. Notably, events in Argentina coincided with the COP4 climate talks in Buenos Aires and featured U.S. climate skeptic Patrick Michaels, who had previously referred to climate change as "hysteria."

Quotes

• Kert Davies, Director of Special Investigations at the Center for Climate Integrity: "Stoking confusion and doubt about climate change among developing nations during critical early moments of climate diplomacy exacerbated geopolitical faultlines and economic fears that still persist to this day."

• Carlos Milani, Professor of International Relations at Rio de Janeiro State University's Institute of Social and Political Studies: "The atmosphere has a huge historical memory when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. What happened 30 years ago matters very much."

Implications

The revelation of ExxonMobil's funding of climate change denial campaigns in Latin America has significant social and societal implications:

• Undermining Climate Action: By disseminating misinformation, these campaigns aimed to reduce support for international agreements on reducing carbon emissions, potentially delaying necessary climate action in developing countries.

• Influence on Policy and Public Opinion: The coordinated efforts to engage with local media and policymakers may have shaped public opinion and influenced policy decisions, hindering the adoption of climate-friendly policies.

• Ethical Concerns: The use of financial resources to spread misinformation raises ethical questions about corporate responsibility and the role of multinational corporations in addressing global challenges like climate change.

Conclusion

The revelation of ExxonMobil's funding of climate change denial campaigns in Latin America underscores the complex interplay between corporate interests, misinformation, and global climate policy. As developing nations continue to grapple with the impacts of climate change, understanding the historical context of such campaigns is crucial for fostering informed policy decisions and promoting international cooperation in addressing the climate crisis.