How Big Oil’s big money influences climate research

For over a decade, students have been urging universities to divest from oil and gas companies. In 2019, demonstrators disrupted a Harvard-Yale football game to protest fossil fuel investment. Many schools, like Harvard and partially Yale, have complied, but activists now demand a complete break from fossil fuel money. A recent study reveals numerous instances of conflict of interest due to Big Oil’s ties with universities in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia. This includes funding research centers, influencing academic studies, and shaping course content. Oil companies benefit by gaining credibility, recruiting prospects, and steering the climate change conversation towards their favor. Despite universities’ reluctance to disclose funding details, it’s estimated that major oil companies donated over $677 million to 27 US universities between 2010 and 2020. These relationships can influence academic findings and direct research towards industry-preferred solutions rather than transformative climate actions. The study also highlights how such ties aim to delay political action on global warming and impede climate-friendly legislation. As pressure mounts on universities to sever ties with oil and gas companies, there is a growing call for more public funding to support research that aligns with the public interest in combating climate change.