Oil giant Shell has spent millions of dollars lobbying against measures that would protect the planet from climate catastrophe. But thanks to a film recently obtained by De Correspondent, it’s now clear that their position wasn’t born of ignorance. Shell knows that fossil fuels put us all at risk – in fact, they’ve known for over a quarter of a century. Climate of Concern, a 1991 educational film produced by Shell, warned that the company’s own product could lead to extreme weather, floods, famines, and climate refugees, and noted that the reality of climate change was "endorsed by a uniquely broad consensus of scientists."
The question, ladies and gentlemen, is what did Shell know and when did they know it. De Correspondent would like to enter into evidence Exhibit A: Climate of Concern.
The Climate of Concern stories are the result of over a year of investigative reporting by Jelmer Mommers for De Correspondent. For the English-language version of the main report, we teamed up with the Guardian’s Environment Editor Damian Carrington, who conducted additional research and covered the story for his outlet.
More on Climate of Concern:
More from De Correspondent:
Want to read more from De Correspondent? Sign up for our newsletter and get new ad-free stories every week. Trump is a climate catastrophe, but the journey to sustainability will go on This president-elect will make the climate movement’s work a lot harder. But even the US can’t stop the global sustainability transition. How billions vanish into the black hole that is the security industry The European Union spends billions on research into advanced technologies meant to make society safer. But our investigation – with 22 journalists in 11 countries – shows that the generous subsidies are mostly good for one thing: filling the coffers of the security industry. Even the Oval Office can’t stop the most successful climate campaign ever As President Trump signs executive orders this week to put oil pipeline plans back on the table, the world holds its breath to see if the US will pull out of the Paris climate pact. Meanwhile investors continue to turn their backs on fossil fuel, spurred on by pressure from divestment activists. This is a portrait of the divestment movement and what it can do.