THE F-LIST 2021: 90 AD AND PR COMPANIES WORKING FOR THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY

The report identifies 90 advertising and PR companies working for the fossil fuel industry, highlighting a conflict between the sustainability pledges of major holding companies and their continued representation of high-polluting clients. It details specific case studies of disinformation and lobbying efforts in the US, Australia, and the EU, while warning that the term 'Net Zero' is being used as a primary tool for greenwashing ahead of the 2021 Glasgow climate talks.

• Major advertising and PR holding companies have sustainability pledges that are insignificant compared to the carbon impact of their fossil fuel clients. For example, WPP's plan to reduce 5.4 mt of carbon annually by 2025 is dwarfed by its clients BP, Shell, and Exxon, whose carbon impact is "423 times the carbon impact of WPP’s operations".
• In the United States, the fossil fuel industry uses PR and digital advertising to oppose climate legislation. ExxonMobil has been a top spender on Facebook climate issues in 2021 via its "Exxchange" platform to encourage opposition to Biden Administration policies; evidence suggests the PR firm Edelman had "direct control over the site and its content" until at least May 2021.
• In Australia, the CT Group (formerly Crosby Textor) managed "Project Cesar" for coal major Glencore, a multi-million dollar operation that used "astroturf support for coal projects" and disseminated false claims about renewable energy to divide the public.
• In the European Union, FTI Consulting is identified as a key actor for industry coalitions Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Council, which promote "blue hydrogen" (fossil fuel sourced) as a transition tool despite warnings that it can be more polluting than burning natural gas directly.
• Regulatory environments in Europe are becoming stricter regarding fossil fuel advertising, with France passing a national ban and the city of Amsterdam banning fossil fuel ads "outright".
• The report argues that "Net Zero Emissions Targets" are frequently used by oil companies to create a false impression of climate action. It notes that Shell disclosed to investors that its "operating plans and budgets do not reflect Shell’s Net-Zero Emissions target," despite advertising that target publicly.

APA

Clean Creatives (2021). THE F-LIST 2021: 90 AD AND PR COMPANIES WORKING FOR THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY. https://cleancreatives.org/s/Clean-Creatives-Report-091721.pdf

Chicago

Clean Creatives. THE F-LIST 2021: 90 AD AND PR COMPANIES WORKING FOR THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY. 2021. https://cleancreatives.org/s/Clean-Creatives-Report-091721.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Creatives |title=THE F-LIST 2021: 90 AD AND PR COMPANIES WORKING FOR THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY |date=September 2021 |url=https://cleancreatives.org/s/Clean-Creatives-Report-091721.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleancreatives2021flist, author = {{Clean Creatives}}, title = {{THE F-LIST 2021: 90 AD AND PR COMPANIES WORKING FOR THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY}}, institution = {Clean Creatives}, year = {2021}, month = sep, url = {https://cleancreatives.org/s/Clean-Creatives-Report-091721.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }