Chevron CEO Michael K. Wirth

The Center for Climate Integrity presents evidence that Chevron and its predecessors were aware of the catastrophic effects of fossil fuels as early as 1980 but funded campaigns to discredit climate science and sow public uncertainty. The document highlights a contradiction between Chevron's public claims of leadership in clean energy and its actual investment patterns, noting that only 0.2 percent of annual capital expenditure was spent on low-carbon energy between 2010 and 2018. Additionally, it points to patents filed by Chevron and Texaco in 1974 for drilling equipment designed for warming Arctic conditions, suggesting the company prepared for the physical impacts of climate change while publicly denying them.

• Chevron and its predecessors were aware of the potential for global warming to cause catastrophic effects as early as 1980, with a Texaco representative attending a meeting discussing an industry report on the matter.
• Chevron participated in efforts to spread climate disinformation, including a 1991 coal company front group aimed at framing global warming as a theory rather than a fact, and a 1998 American Petroleum Institute communications plan designed to create public uncertainty about climate science and undermine the Kyoto Protocol.
• While publicly casting doubt on climate change, Chevron and Texaco sought patents in 1974 for drilling equipment specifically designed to operate in Arctic regions that would become accessible as temperatures rose and ice movement increased.
• Despite marketing itself as a clean energy leader, Chevron invested only 0.2 percent of its annual capital expenditure in low-carbon energy from 2010 to 2018 and dissolved its small renewable power group in 2014.
• Chevron promotes natural gas as a tool for reducing emissions, although the document asserts that natural gas is a major source of CO2 and methane and may pose a greater climate threat than coal when accounting for leaks and abandoned wells.

APA

Center for Climate Integrity (2021). Chevron CEO Michael K. Wirth. https://climateintegrity.org/news/view/chevron-ceo-michael-k-wirth

Chicago

Center for Climate Integrity. Chevron CEO Michael K. Wirth. 2021. https://climateintegrity.org/news/view/chevron-ceo-michael-k-wirth.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for Climate Integrity |title=Chevron CEO Michael K. Wirth |date=6 October 2021 |url=https://climateintegrity.org/news/view/chevron-ceo-michael-k-wirth |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforclimateintegrity2021chevron, author = {{Center for Climate Integrity}}, title = {{Chevron CEO Michael K. Wirth}}, publisher = {Center for Climate Integrity}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://climateintegrity.org/news/view/chevron-ceo-michael-k-wirth}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }