Climate Science vs. Fossil Fuel Fiction

The document contrasts ConocoPhillips' claims of uncertainty regarding climate change's effects on public health with findings from the IPCC and the U.S. National Climate Assessment. It further highlights contradictions between the company's public acknowledgments of human-induced warming and its support for climate-denying trade groups and opposition to U.S. climate legislation.

• In 2008 comments to the EPA, ConocoPhillips claimed that evidence for the effects of climate change on public health and welfare was "limited and is typified by a high degree of uncertainty."
• The 2007 IPCC report (AR4) contradicted claims of uncertainty, stating with "very high confidence" that human activities since 1750 caused warming and increased the risk of heat waves, sea level rise, and heavy precipitation, specifically noting risks to human health in populations with low adaptive capacity, children, and the elderly.
• The 2009 U.S. National Climate Assessment identified specific public health risks in cities, including reduced air quality, insect and waterborne diseases, and increasing heat waves.
• Despite acknowledging that human activity and fossil fuel combustion contribute to adverse global climate changes, ConocoPhillips has supported climate-denying groups such as the American Petroleum Institute (API), the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA), and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
• ConocoPhillips demonstrated inconsistent policy positions by testifying in 2008 in support of a "mandatory national framework in the U.S. for reducing carbon dioxide emissions," only to withdraw from the U.S. Climate Action Partnership in February 2010 and subsequently urge employees to oppose climate legislation.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2015). Climate Science vs. Fossil Fuel Fiction. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/03/conocophillipsquote2009.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Climate Science vs. Fossil Fuel Fiction. 2015. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/03/conocophillipsquote2009.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Climate Science vs. Fossil Fuel Fiction |date=March 2015 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/03/conocophillipsquote2009.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2015climate, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Climate Science vs. Fossil Fuel Fiction}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2015}, month = mar, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/03/conocophillipsquote2009.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }