It has been found that major global oil companies, which are emphasizing full investment in eco-friendly energy, are actually holding a negative stance on carbon neutrality.
The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 15th (local time) that this fact was confirmed in internal documents of oil companies secured by the U.S. House of Representatives Supervisory and Reform Committee.
Royal Dutch Shell, a European oil major, sent an email to co-workers while an employee was preparing a speech for the CEO in 2020 stating, "Carbon neutrality has nothing to do with our company's business plan." I sent.
Carbon neutral means that we will absorb as much carbon as we emit when producing oil and natural gas and make actual emissions '0'.
Previously, Royal Dutch Shell touted that it would expand investment in clean energy along with research and development of carbon reduction methods, but it has been confirmed that it has a completely different view internally.
US oil major ExxonMobil also took a negative stance on the industry's efforts to combat climate change.
ExxonMobil sent an official letter to the oil industry ahead of the 2019 United Nations meeting to discuss climate change countermeasures.
It was said that the reference to the 'Paris Climate Change Agreement' should be deleted from the climate change-related measures to be announced by the oil industry.
The Paris Agreement aims to limit the increase in global average temperature to less than 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by countries around the world.
Under the Paris Agreement framework, each country has submitted a greenhouse gas reduction target and is making efforts to achieve zero net carbon emissions around the world around 2050.
However, ExxonMobil's environmental policy executive pointed out that "if it gives a feeling of support or participation in the Paris Agreement, the entire oil industry may be forced to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement."
Another U.S. oil major Chevron agreed that the reference to the Paris Agreement should be removed, according to emails sent to senior management, including ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods.
It was confirmed that ExxonMobil knowingly included exaggerated content in the process of creating an advertisement to improve its corporate image.
In 2018, ExxonMobil produced an advertisement stating that it is making a large investment in the development of eco-friendly biofuels using seaweed.
However, an executive from ExxonMobil executives said, "It will be a few decades before such a technology can be put to practical use."
(Photo = Getty Images Korea)