ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods

The Center for Climate Integrity asserts that ExxonMobil possessed internal knowledge of the catastrophic impacts of fossil fuels as early as the 1970s while simultaneously funding a decades-long campaign to discredit climate science. The statement highlights a discrepancy between internal scientific consensus and public advertorials, the use of 'shadow groups' to oppose government action, and the company's current production plans which contradict the goals of the Paris Agreement.

• Exxon scientists warned executives as early as 1977 that burning fossil fuels would increase global temperatures and cause drastic climate changes, with some warnings between 1981 and 1982 describing the potential impacts as "catastrophic".
• Between 1998 and 2019, Exxon provided at least $37 million to nearly 70 organizations that promoted climate denial; this included $14.6 million distributed after a 2008 pledge to stop funding such groups.
• A peer-reviewed study of ExxonMobil communications from 1977 to 2014 found a sharp contrast between internal and public messaging: 80% of internal documents acknowledged human-caused climate change, while 81% of public advertorials expressed doubt.
• ExxonMobil's current business strategy contradicts the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal; the company plans to keep oil and gas production steady through at least 2025 and intends to fully replenish reserves by 2040.
• A senior federal lobbyist for ExxonMobil, Keith McCoy, admitted on tape that the company used "shadow groups" to undermine climate science and that its public support for a carbon tax was a "talking point" because the tax would never pass.

APA

Center for Climate Integrity (2021). ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods. https://climateintegrity.org/news/view/exxonmobil-ceo-darren-woods

Chicago

Center for Climate Integrity. ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods. 2021. https://climateintegrity.org/news/view/exxonmobil-ceo-darren-woods.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for Climate Integrity |title=ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods |date=6 October 2021 |url=https://climateintegrity.org/news/view/exxonmobil-ceo-darren-woods |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforclimateintegrity2021exxonmobil, author = {{Center for Climate Integrity}}, title = {{ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods}}, publisher = {Center for Climate Integrity}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://climateintegrity.org/news/view/exxonmobil-ceo-darren-woods}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }