Tillerson and Exxon environmental record: statement and background

Friends of the Earth outlines the potential conflicts of interest and environmental risks associated with Rex Tillerson becoming U.S. Secretary of State, citing ExxonMobil's history of funding climate denial and Tillerson's interests in Arctic drilling and the Keystone XL pipeline.

• ExxonMobil is accused of concealing its knowledge of the connection between fossil fuels and climate change for decades while simultaneously funding groups that deny climate change.
• As Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson would be responsible for implementing the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, a move that would protect ExxonMobil's fossil reserves valued at billions of dollars.
• Tillerson's opposition to U.S. sanctions against Russia is linked to ExxonMobil's interests in the Russian Arctic, including the $27 billion Yamal LNG export project.
• Tillerson has advocated for the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, a trans-boundary project that requires State Department authorization.
• The document highlights potential reversals of the 2009 G20 agreement to phase out fossil fuel subsidies by 2020, noting that the U.S. government provides over $10 billion in annual subsidies to ExxonMobil and other fossil fuel companies.

APA

Pica, E. (2016). Tillerson and Exxon environmental record: statement and background. Friends of the Earth. https://foe.org/news/2016-12-tillerson-and-exxon-environmental-record-statement-and-background/

Chicago

Pica, Erich. Tillerson and Exxon environmental record: statement and background. Friends of the Earth, 2016. https://foe.org/news/2016-12-tillerson-and-exxon-environmental-record-statement-and-background/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Pica |first1=Erich |title=Tillerson and Exxon environmental record: statement and background |publisher=Friends of the Earth |date=11 December 2016 |url=https://foe.org/news/2016-12-tillerson-and-exxon-environmental-record-statement-and-background/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{pica2016tillerson, author = {Pica, Erich}, title = {{Tillerson and Exxon environmental record: statement and background}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth}, year = {2016}, month = dec, url = {https://foe.org/news/2016-12-tillerson-and-exxon-environmental-record-statement-and-background/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }