The Climate Accountability Scorecard Ranking Major Fossil Fuel Companies on Climate Deception, Disclosure, and Action

The Union of Concerned Scientists evaluated eight major fossil fuel companies—Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP, Royal Dutch Shell, ConocoPhillips, Peabody Energy, CONSOL Energy, and Arch Coal—across four key areas of climate responsibility. The analysis found that all eight companies maintain memberships in trade associations that spread climate disinformation and none have developed a company-wide plan to align their business models with the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. While BP and Shell were noted for affirming climate science in direct communications, and BP and ConocoPhillips scored 'good' on general political spending oversight, the report concludes that the industry as a whole fails to take appropriate responsibility for the climate impacts of its products.

• All eight studied companies maintain memberships, and often leadership roles, in trade associations and industry groups that spread climate disinformation or block climate action.
• None of the eight companies have established a company-wide pathway or plan to align their business models with the goals of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.
• Only BP and Royal Dutch Shell have publicly expressed support for the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement and its global temperature goals.
• ExxonMobil is highlighted for actively disparaging climate science in public statements, specifically through CEO Rex Tillerson's public casting of doubt on the accuracy of climate models.
• The three coal companies—Arch Coal, CONSOL Energy, and Peabody Energy—all received a score of 'egregious' for their planning for a world free from carbon pollution.
• Climate risk disclosure is incomplete across the group; only ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil have acknowledged climate change as a contributor to the physical risks their businesses face.
• Only three of the eight companies publicly support at least one generic type of policy to reduce carbon emissions, and none support specific federal or state policies.
• Peabody Energy was the only company in the sample to use climate science disinformation to justify its opposition to federal or state climate policies during the study period.

APA

Mulvey, K., Piepenburg, J., Goldman, G., & Frumhoff, P. C. (2016). The Climate Accountability Scorecard Ranking Major Fossil Fuel Companies on Climate Deception, Disclosure, and Action. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/10/climate-accountability-scorecard-full-report.pdf

Chicago

Mulvey, Kathy, Jayne Piepenburg, Gretchen Goldman, and Peter C. Frumhoff. The Climate Accountability Scorecard Ranking Major Fossil Fuel Companies on Climate Deception, Disclosure, and Action. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2016. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/10/climate-accountability-scorecard-full-report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mulvey |first1=Kathy |last2=Piepenburg |first2=Jayne |last3=Goldman |first3=Gretchen |last4=Frumhoff |first4=Peter C. |title=The Climate Accountability Scorecard Ranking Major Fossil Fuel Companies on Climate Deception, Disclosure, and Action |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=October 2016 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/10/climate-accountability-scorecard-full-report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mulvey2016climate, author = {Mulvey, Kathy and Piepenburg, Jayne and Goldman, Gretchen and Frumhoff, Peter C.}, title = {{The Climate Accountability Scorecard Ranking Major Fossil Fuel Companies on Climate Deception, Disclosure, and Action}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2016}, month = oct, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/10/climate-accountability-scorecard-full-report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }