Fossil fuel companies use social media to block climate progress
Fossil fuel companies and related industries have used coordinated messaging on Twitter to delay climate policies and mislead the public about climate change.
Joseph Winters reports for Grist.
In short:
- A study analyzed 125,000 tweets from fossil fuel companies, plastics producers and agrochemical groups, revealing a coordinated strategy to deny and delay climate action.
- The research identified eight rhetorical tactics, including denying climate change’s severity, deflecting blame and promoting ineffective solutions like recycling or carbon capture.
- Social media remains a key tool for these industries to influence public opinion and stall regulatory efforts, even as platforms evolve.
Key quote:
“It all connects back to this overarching strategy of trying to control the narrative, … reinforcing this sense that there’s no way we’re ever going to phase out fossil fuels, no matter how bad the climate crisis gets.”
— Jennie Stephens, report co-author and climate justice professor at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Why this matters:
Coordinated misinformation from fossil fuel interests obstructs meaningful climate policy and delays the transition to clean energy. These tactics shift blame onto individuals and promote false solutions, hindering efforts to combat the worsening climate crisis.
Read more: Social media fuels climate misinformation
