LOC12:04
09:04 GMT
LONDON, July 19 (KUNA) -- One of the worlds largest oil companies has
broken its pledge to stop funding groups that promote scepticism about
man-made climate change, it was revealed here on Monday.
ExxonMobil, parent company of Esso, gave almost one million pounds last
year to organisations that campaign against controls on greenhouse gas
emissions, the Times newspaper reported in a front-page story.
Several groups made outspoken attacks on climate scientists at the
University of East Anglia, southern England, and argued their leaked e-mails
showed that the dangers of global warming had been grossly exaggerated.
The scientists were exonerated this month by an independent inquiry but
groups funded by Exxon have continued to lambast them.
The Media Research Centre, which received 50,000 dollars last year from
Exxon, called the inquiry a "whitewash" and condemned "climate alarmists".
Some of Exxons largest donations were to groups that lobbied against a
global deal on emissions being reached in the Copenhagen climate changes
summit, the paper added.
Exxon could see the value of its oil and gas investments fall sharply if
governments adopt aggressive plans to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels,
it pointed out.(end)
he.wsa
KUNA 191204 Jul 10NNNN