Why Is Exxon Regarded As One Of The Most Environmentally Retrograde Companies On The Planet?

Exxon, which operates in the UK under the name of Esso, has been condemned by the Royal Society in Britain, a leading association of scientists, and by US Senators of both parties for its refusal to acknowledge the realities of global warming.

The company has maintained that, while global warming is undoubtedly occurring, man's responsibility for it has not been made clear. It has funded much of the global warming sceptic movement in the United States, including institutes, associations and scientists who dispute the conventional wisdom that global warming is being driven primarily by the emission of greenhouse gases from human society.

Unlike rival oil giants BP, and Shell, which have both made major investments in research into renewable energies, Exxon has spent very little in looking for an alternative to fossil fuels. Exxon also consulted closely with the Bush administration and helped persuade it to reject the Kyoto treaty on climate change.