How Big Polluters are advancing a “net zero” climate agenda to delay, deceive, and deny

The report contends that "net zero" pledges from "Big Polluters"—including fossil fuel, agribusiness, and tech giants—are deceptive strategies to avoid responsibility for climate change. It identifies "dangerous distractions" such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), and carbon offsets, arguing these schemes often lead to human rights abuses and "carbon colonialism." The document details how these corporations influence policy through lobbying, financial contributions to politicians, and the funding of academic research at institutions like Stanford and MIT to validate "net zero" narratives. Case studies of Shell, Total SA, and JBS are used to illustrate how these plans often mask continued production of high-emissions products.

• The report defines "Big Polluters" as industries and trade associations primarily responsible for the emissions driving the climate crisis, noting that just 100 corporations are responsible for 70 percent of historical emissions.
• The document identifies several "dangerous distractions" used in net zero plans that allow continued emissions, including Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), which is often used for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) to extract more oil, and Direct Air Capture (DAC), which is untested at scale.
• The report argues that carbon offsets and REDD+ facilitate "carbon colonialism" (Co2lonialism) by shifting the burden of climate action to frontline communities and risking land grabs and the displacement of Indigenous Peoples.
• Corporate "net zero" plans are characterized by eight fundamental failings, including being too vague to be meaningful, relying on unproven technologies, and ignoring the fact that there is insufficient land available to offset the proposed emissions.
• Case studies reveal that companies use net zero pledges to mask business-as-usual operations: Shell plans to increase liquefied natural gas (LNG) operations by 20 percent through 2025, and Total SA has signed an agreement to plant a 40,000-hectare forest in the Republic of Congo that may evict Indigenous Pygmies and Bantu farmers.
• The report documents a strategy of "buying off" political goodwill, citing the U.S. 45Q tax credit as a mechanism that subsidizes CCS even when used to extract more oil, with lobbying from companies like Exxon, Chevron, BP, and Shell.
• The International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), funded by fossil fuel giants, is accused of "corporate capture" of the UNFCCC by pushing for weakly regulated carbon market mechanisms, specifically Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
• Big Polluters influence academic research to validate net zero agendas through funding and partnerships with prestigious institutions; for example, Exxon has contributed US$100 million to Stanford's Global Climate and Energy Project (GCEP).

APA

Bragg, J., Jackson, R. R., & Lahiri, S. (2021). How Big Polluters are advancing a “net zero” climate agenda to delay, deceive, and deny. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/The-Big-Con_EN.pdf

Chicago

Bragg, Jesse, Rachel Rose Jackson, and Souparna Lahiri. How Big Polluters are advancing a “net zero” climate agenda to delay, deceive, and deny. Friends of the Earth International, 2021. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/The-Big-Con_EN.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bragg |first1=Jesse |last2=Jackson |first2=Rachel Rose |last3=Lahiri |first3=Souparna |title=How Big Polluters are advancing a “net zero” climate agenda to delay, deceive, and deny |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=June 2021 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/The-Big-Con_EN.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bragg2021how, author = {Bragg, Jesse and Jackson, Rachel Rose and Lahiri, Souparna}, title = {{How Big Polluters are advancing a “net zero” climate agenda to delay, deceive, and deny}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2021}, month = jun, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/The-Big-Con_EN.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }