Background: Major oil and gas companies have publicly committed to pull funding and support from lobby groups that hold positions and/or act out of alignment with the Paris Agreement or the company’s own climate goals. Total, BP, Shell & Equinor have previously left trade associations, albeit smaller ones. Total is the first to leave the American Petroleum Institute (API), a group that lobbied the Trump administration to weaken national rules to cut methane and funded electoral candidates who continue to reject the reality of the climate crisis.
Statement by Earthworks Policy Direct Lauren Pagel:
“BP, Shell, Chevron, ExxonMobil and others need to follow Total’s lead and leave API.
“Cutting oil and gas climate pollution will require Biden use the Clean Air Act to its fullest potential. The time of climate obstructionism must end, including API lobbying against climate safeguards that oil companies publicly endorse.
“We must transition away from fossil fuels. Big oil needs to get on board or get out of the way, not try to have their cake and eat it too, which is what they’re doing with continued API membership.“
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