Saudi oil official’s role in climate science report raises conflict of interest concerns
A longtime Saudi Aramco employee’s nomination to help lead a major United Nations climate report has sparked fresh questions about fossil fuel influence inside the world’s top climate science body.
Karl Mathiesen reports for POLITICO.
In short:
- Mustafa Babiker, an economist and 18-year veteran of the Saudi Aramco oil company, was proposed as a coordinating lead author for a chapter of the next Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report focused on reducing fossil fuel emissions.
- Scientists and watchdog groups warn the nomination could harm the IPCC's credibility, citing Babiker’s close ties to the world’s largest oil producer and the growing political pressure on the body from fossil fuel nations.
- The United States, under President Trump, has scaled back its involvement in the IPCC, cutting staff and blocking a senior American scientist from participating in key meetings.
Key quote:
The nomination is “one of the most blatant examples of political capture by the oil industry of climate policy that I have ever seen.”
— Tzeporah Berman, founder of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty NGO
Why this matters:
The IPCC plays a central role in shaping global understanding of climate science and guiding policy decisions on reducing emissions. When individuals with deep ties to fossil fuel interests help lead the body’s reports, it raises serious concerns about objectivity and integrity. Oil-rich countries like Saudi Arabia have long pushed to downplay or redirect climate science findings that could threaten their economic model. With the U.S. stepping back and fossil fuel exporters gaining influence, the balance of power within the IPCC is shifting.
Related: UN climate talks face growing backlash over corporate influence and stalled action
