Britain's leading scientists have challenged the US oil company ExxonMobil to
stop funding groups that attempt to undermine the scientific consensus on
climate change.
In an unprecedented step, the Royal Society, Britain's premier scientific
academy, has written to the oil giant to demand that the company withdraws
support for dozens of groups that have "misrepresented the science of climate
change by outright denial of the evidence".
The scientists also strongly criticise the company's public statements on global
warming, which they describe as "inaccurate and misleading".
In a letter earlier this month to Esso, the UK arm of ExxonMobil, the Royal
Society cites its own survey which found that ExxonMobil last year distributed
$2.9m to 39 groups that the society says misrepresent the science of climate
change.
These include the International Policy Network, a thinktank with its HQ in
London, and the ...