"Chevron Faces an FTC Complaint Over Greenwashing"

"There may be trouble ahead for companies who claim to be helping the planet while continuing to produce fossil fuels. A coalition of green groups filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission on Monday alleging that Chevron is misleading the public in its claims that it is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The complaint, filed jointly by Earthworks, Global Witness, and Greenpeace USA, says that Chevron has been positioning itself to the general public in social media, TV, and other types of marketing as working to solve the climate crisis and providing environmentally-friendly solutions. But the company’s actual business practices, the groups say, tells another story.

Research has shown that Chevron is the largest investor-owned source of global carbon emissions since 1965. It’s also the biggest oil company in the U.S. While the company’s marketing language may paint it as turning over a green new leaf, the suit says, Chevron isn’t actually making that much of an effort. A complaint filed in the DC District Court last June alleges that only 0.2% of the company’s spending between 2010 and 2018 was on low-carbon energy sources."

Molly Taft reports for Earther March 16, 2021.

Source: Earther, 03/17/2021