The Climate Deception Dossiers

The report presents seven 'deception dossiers' containing approximately 85 internal documents that reveal how fossil fuel companies and trade associations intentionally spread climate misinformation. It details tactics such as the secret funding of contrarian scientists, the creation of 'astroturf' grassroots groups, and the use of forged letters to Congress to undermine climate science and delay the transition to clean energy.

• Major fossil fuel companies, including BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Peabody Energy, and Shell, have intentionally spread climate disinformation for decades to block policies designed to reduce global warming emissions.
• Internal industry evidence shows that fossil fuel companies were aware of the reality of human-caused climate change as early as 1988, and their own scientists explicitly stated in 1995 that the greenhouse effect and human impact on climate were undeniable.
• Fossil fuel interests secretly funded Dr. Wei-Hock Soon at the Smithsonian Institution between 2001 and 2012, providing over $1.2 million to support research that overstated the role of solar variability in climate change while keeping the funding hidden from the public.
• A 1998 'roadmap' memo from the American Petroleum Institute (API) detailed a strategy to recruit and train scientists to emphasize 'uncertainties' in climate science to confuse the public and derail the Kyoto Protocol.
• The Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) used a network of 16 'astroturf' or fake-grassroots groups to create the illusion of public opposition to California's climate and energy policies.
• In 2009, a lobbying firm subcontracted by the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) sent forged letters to members of Congress, using the letterheads of nonprofit groups like the NAACP to oppose the American Clean Energy and Security Act.
• The Information Council on the Environment (ICE), a front group for coal interests, ran a $500,000 advertising campaign in 1991 designed to reposition global warming as a 'theory' rather than a fact and specifically targeted lower-income women.
• The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) serves as a conduit for fossil fuel companies to influence state legislators through closed-door meetings and the distribution of industry-friendly sample legislation to block renewable energy standards.

APA

Mulvey, K., Shulman, S., Anderson, D., Cole, N., Piepenburg, J., & Sideris, J. (2015). The Climate Deception Dossiers. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/07/The-Climate-Deception-Dossiers.pdf

Chicago

Mulvey, Kathy, Seth Shulman, Dave Anderson, Nancy Cole, Jayne Piepenburg, and Jean Sideris. The Climate Deception Dossiers. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2015. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/07/The-Climate-Deception-Dossiers.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{mulvey2015climate, author = {Mulvey, Kathy and Shulman, Seth and Anderson, Dave and Cole, Nancy and Piepenburg, Jayne and Sideris, Jean}, title = {{The Climate Deception Dossiers}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2015}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/07/The-Climate-Deception-Dossiers.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }