Issue: Oil

Using frames and rhetoric that emphasize consumer responsibility, demand, and the uncertainty of climate risk, fossil fuel companies like ExxonMobil downplay the seriousness of climate change. An analysis of ExxonMobil’s internal and external facing documents use different frames to talk about climate change. In advertisements, the company’s rhetoric acknowledges that climate change poses a risk, but the authors argue that the risk frame encourages uncertainty about the seriousness of human-caused climate change. Similarly, advertisements also use frames that put responsibility on individuals, indicating that individuals’ energy demand has been too high for companies to meet it with anything but fossil fuels. The company can use these frames and rhetoric to sidestep responsibility for their role in human-cause climate change.             

Since 2008, the National Surveys on Energy and the Environment (NSEE) have been exploring views of global warming among American adults. In the 24th wave of the survey, NSEE reached five key findings:

American acceptance of global warming is at a record high, with 75% of adults believing there is solid evidence that temperatures have increased over the last four decades;
Americans are more confident in their view that the planet is warming, with 51% indicating they are very confident global warming is happening;
Nearly 6 in 10 adults indicated that there is strong evidence of global warming and that humans are partially responsible;  
Almost half – 47% – of Americans attributed 2020’s record warmth to human induced global warming;
Action on climate change is more varied among respondents: mitigation efforts are the most commonly identified climate policies (39%), and nearly equal portions of respondents prioritized adaptation (16%) and geoengineering (17%).

The concept of a “just transition” has permeated mainstream discourse, yet those who will likely be most impacted by the energy transition – frontline workers and their communities – have mostly been excluded from the conversation. This report, derived from over 100 listening sessions and interviews with workers and frontline community members, encourages policymakers to:

Go Big: Be guided by a just transition vision that is ambitious and comprehensive in order to address the scope of impacts for affected communities and industries. Job creation, labor standards, and workers’ rights must be included.
Go Wide: Impacts from economic transitions can be felt in a number of ways, from financial to social to psychological. Policymakers should engage with existing social infrastructure such as labor unions, frontline community groups, and Indigenous nations to make sure support is readily available.
Go Far: While the climate crisis is urgent, just transition plans must not be fixated on the short-term. Instead, policymakers should include long-term commitments to workers and their communities as part of their vision and take into account differences in generational needs between older, established workers and those just entering the workforce.

In addition, the report addresses how labor and advocacy organizations need to develop authentic, trusting relationships with each other to build political and policy alignment around just transition goals. One way to start is to establish and expand internal committees and capacities to understand each other’s issues and perspectives.