In March, Exxon CEO Darren Woods complained that other oil companies drafting climate plans simply participated in a “beauty party.” Now, Exxon has its own climate plan. But it’s the ugliest and most desolate of the group because it doesn’t really say anything about reducing emissions.
Now, to be fair to Woods, it’s pretty easy to criticize the climate plans of other oil companies. We do it all time here! The difference is that Earther is not a ruthless, multinational corporation dedicated to stifling competition and commitment. serious human rights violations, i lying to the public to consolidate our business and our results.
For Exxon to talk rubbish about his fellow planet-killing businessmen who seek to serve a kinder and gentler death sentence is rich. But now it looks like Exxon has arrived the value of public relations in drawing up a climate plan. Monday he dropped a vision to humanly destroy the biosphere. Although other oil companies have said they will come toout of the zero-night emissions target in 2050, Exxon is here to let you know that it is focusing on “significant short-term emission reductions”. But the problem is that the plan includes zero reductions in emissions.
Rather, it calls for reducing emissions intensity of its operations between 15% and 20% in 2025, which is totally denied by its plan to increase oil production. It also includes methane targets that again focus on reducing intensity rather than global emissions. This gives Exxon the ability to continue to increase its emissions as long as they are less intense. And he plans to do so, he says leaked documents viewed by Bloomberg in October. They show that Exxon’s business plan would result in one 17% increase in total carbon emissions. It’s the equivalent of someone having lactose intolerance making a gallon of half and half instead of a glass of heavy burning and showing that it is somehow better for them and for everyone around them.
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Exxon’s commitment to half and half of the main line also focuses exclusively on “upstream” operations, from getting oil out of the ground to getting it. the refinery—which account for about one-fifth of total emissions tied to a barrel of oil. Most of the emissions come from the transportation and use of this oil, a piece of emissions known in oilpeak as Range 3. If we want to maintain the dairy analogy, Range 3 emissions are like carbon pollution butter. Exxon’s offer on these emissions is not even a reduction in intensity. Rather, it “provides range 3 emissions.” So Exxon’s plan is to keep throwing butter down his throat, sternly telling you it’s bad and asking why you won’t stop eating it.
Methane intensity reductions (targets include a 40% to 50% drop in intensity and a flare intensity of less than 35% to 45% in 2025) are also comical. Oil companies, including Exxon, Donald begged Trump not reversing rules to limit methane emissions because it could damage the reputation of natural gas as a cleaner form of fossil fuel. President-elect Joe Biden has repeatedly said he will crack down on powerful greenhouse gases and that he stands out prominently in his climate plan. In essence, Exxon is committed to something it will surely have to do anyway. And again, the reduced flare intensity does nothing actually reduce production.
The clearest sign that Exxon’s plan is that it’s a cheap public relations call is the way it’s presented. The page contains beautiful images of the Eiffel Tower to symbolize the Paris Agreement and a somewhat blurry photo of people resting in Central Park amidst green grass: it is standard pablum for this kind of thing. But the real tip is the small quota icons in each section, which indicate that Exxon has a message that the world would love. Click on it and you can post the following on your Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn page:
“It builds on the success of existing efforts to reduce methane emissions and flames, and supports the goals of the Paris Agreement”
It’s a salad of words with confusing words that don’t mean anything with a link to the plane of nothingness. The Twitter sharing option shouldn’t even include a link to it, because Exxon can’t even bother to pretend it matters. Exxon lied about climate change for decades and is historically the largest source of emissions owned by investors and the third largest cause of ocean acidification. This is not a company that does anything in good faith.
The last insult comes from Woods himself. In a quote from the climate plan, he notes that “we respect and support society’s ambition to achieve clean net emissions by 2050,” something Exxon explicitly says in its plan that it will not take part. This is Big Oil’s version of thoughts and prayers. And if this plan is the best that Exxon can come up with, we will need those thoughts and prayers unless policymakers take meaningful steps to dissolve oil production, protect workers, and hold companies like Exxon accountable.