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The oil industry and climate change: strategies and ethical dilemmas

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  • Sybille van den Hove
  • Marc Le Menestrel
  • Henri-Claude de Bettignies

Abstract

This paper explores the different climate change strategies chosen by three major multinational oil corporations: ExxonMobil, TotalFinaElf and BP Amoco. They are referred to, as the 'fight against emission constraints,' 'wait and see,' and 'proactive' strategies, respectively. The justifications given to support these strategies are identified. They cover the business, scientific, political, economic, technological and social dimensions. In a business ethics framework, the issue of climate change brings forth an ethical dilemma for the oil industry, in the form of a tension between profits and CO 2 emissions. The strategies are analysed as three attitudes towards this dilemma: (i) placing priority on the business consequences while weakening the perception that anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are causing climate change; (ii) avoiding responsibility; and (iii) placing priority on the need for a modification of the business process while limiting the negative effect in terms of business consequences. In conclusion, we propose that beyond the ethical issues proper to climate change itself, additional ethical issues are raised if society at large is instrumentalised by an industry in its search for profit. Publicly gauging and valorising the ethical commitment of a corporation appear as ways of inducing more collaborative and proactive attitudes by business actors.

Suggested Citation

  • Sybille van den Hove & Marc Le Menestrel & Henri-Claude de Bettignies, 2002. "The oil industry and climate change: strategies and ethical dilemmas," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 2(1), pages 3-18, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:tcpoxx:v:2:y:2002:i:1:p:3-18
    DOI: 10.3763/cpol.2002.0202
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    Cited by:

    1. Chang, Youngho & Yong, Jiayun, 2007. "Differing perspectives of major oil firms on future energy developments: An illustrative framework," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(11), pages 5466-5480, November.
    2. Laura Rodríguez-Fernández & Ana Belén Fernández Carvajal & María Bujidos-Casado, 2020. "Allocation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Using the Fairness Principle: A Multi-Country Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-15, July.
    3. Federica Gasbarro & Francesco Rizzi & Marco Frey, 2016. "Adaptation Measures of Energy and Utility Companies to Cope with Water Scarcity Induced by Climate Change," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 54-72, January.
    4. Persson, Tobias A. & Azar, C. & Johansson, D. & Lindgren, K., 2007. "Major oil exporters may profit rather than lose, in a carbon-constrained world," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 6346-6353, December.
    5. Schaeffer, Roberto & Borba, Bruno S.M.C. & Rathmann, Régis & Szklo, Alexandre & Castelo Branco, David A., 2012. "Dow Jones sustainability index transmission to oil stock market returns: A GARCH approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 933-943.
    6. Dominique Foray & Gaetan de Rassenfosse & George Abi Younes & Charles Ayoubi & Omar Ballester & Gabriele Cristelli & Matthias van den Heuvel & Ling Zhou & Gabriele Pellegrino & Patrick Gaulé & Elizab, 2020. "COVID-19: Insights from Innovation Economists," Working Papers 10, Chair of Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy.
      • Younes, George Abi & Ayoubi, Charles & Ballester, Omar & Cristelli, Gabriele & de Rassenfosse, Gaetan & Foray, Dominique & Gaule, Patrick & Pellegrino, Gabriele & van den Heuvel, Matthias & Webster, B, 2020. "COVID-19_Insights from Innovation Economists," SocArXiv b5zae, Center for Open Science.
    7. Christophe Bonneuil & Pierre-Louis Choquet & Benjamin Franta, 2021. "Early warnings and emerging accountability: Total’s responses to global warming, 1968-2021," Post-Print halshs-03390521, HAL.
    8. Christophe Bonneuil & Pierre-Louis Choquet & Benjamin Franta, 2021. "Early warnings and emerging accountability: Total’s responses to global warming, 1968-2021," SciencePo Working papers Main halshs-03390521, HAL.
    9. Sarasini, Steven, 2013. "Institutional work and climate change: Corporate political action in the Swedish electricity industry," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 480-489.
    10. Chaiyapa, Warathida & Esteban, Miguel & Kameyama, Yasuko, 2018. "Why go green? Discourse analysis of motivations for Thailand's oil and gas companies to invest in renewable energy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 448-459.
    11. Mäkitie, Tuukka & Normann, Håkon E. & Thune, Taran M. & Sraml Gonzalez, Jakoba, 2019. "The green flings: Norwegian oil and gas industry’s engagement in offshore wind power," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 269-279.
    12. Danielewicz, J. & Sayegh, M.A. & Śniechowska, B. & Szulgowska-Zgrzywa, M. & Jouhara, H., 2014. "Experimental and analytical performance investigation of air to air two phase closed thermosyphon based heat exchangers," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 82-87.
    13. Chaiyapa, Warathida & Esteban, Miguel & Kameyama, Yasuko, 2016. "Sectoral approaches establishment for climate change mitigation in Thailand upstream oil and gas industry," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 204-213.
    14. Tadadjeu, Sosson & Njangang, Henri & Woldemichael, Andinet, 2023. "Are resource-rich countries less responsive to global warming? Oil wealth and climate change policy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    15. Sueyoshi, Toshiyuki & Wang, Derek, 2018. "DEA environmental assessment on US petroleum industry: Non-radial approach with translation invariance in time horizon," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 276-289.
    16. Younes, George Abi & Ayoubi, Charles & Ballester, Omar & Cristelli, Gabriele & de Rassenfosse, Gaetan & Foray, Dominique & Gaule, Patrick & van den Heuvel, Matthias & Webster, Beth & Zhou, Ling, 2020. "COVID-19: Insights from Innovation Economists (with French executive summary)," SocArXiv 65pgr, Center for Open Science.
    17. Markus Beckmann & Stefan Hielscher & Ingo Pies, 2014. "Commitment Strategies for Sustainability: How Business Firms Can Transform Trade‐Offs Into Win–Win Outcomes," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(1), pages 18-37, January.
    18. Karol Kostúr & Marek Laciak & Milan Durdan, 2018. "Some Influences of Underground Coal Gasification on the Environment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-31, May.
    19. Andreas A. Papandreou, 2015. "The Great Recession and the transition to a low-carbon economy," Working papers wpaper88, Financialisation, Economy, Society & Sustainable Development (FESSUD) Project.
    20. Derek Wang & Tianchi Li, 2018. "Carbon Emission Performance of Independent Oil and Natural Gas Producers in the United States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-18, January.

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