A groundbreaking study published in WIREs Climate Change reveals that fossil fuel companies’ financial ties to universities are delaying the global shift to renewable energy. The study, the most comprehensive of its kind, analyzed over 14,000 peer-reviewed articles from the last two decades on corporate funding’s influence on research. The findings show a concerning lack of attention to fossil fuel company influence, with only 14 articles directly addressing the issue.
Researchers argue that oil and gas companies are shaping academic research to favor climate strategies that prolong fossil fuel dependence. By funding climate-focused initiatives and holding advisory roles at universities, these companies can subtly direct research toward solutions that maintain a future for fossil fuels, despite the urgent need to phase them out. Co-author Jennie Stephens, a climate justice professor, emphasized the gap between scientific recommendations for fossil fuel phase-out and university research, which often focuses on less drastic approaches.
The study highlights several examples of fossil fuel influence, including BP’s multimillion-dollar funding of Princeton University’s Carbon Mitigation Initiative and MIT’s 2011 report promoting natural gas as part of a low-carbon future. These relationships raise concerns about conflicts of interest, with researchers warning that such funding compromises the integrity of academic institutions.
The authors call for greater transparency and caution scholars and universities against becoming “pawns in a propaganda scheme,” as Geoffrey Supran from the University of Miami put it. The study adds momentum to the growing push for academic institutions to sever ties with fossil fuel companies, with student-led movements calling for divestment and increased scrutiny.
To address the problem, Stephens suggests that governments provide more public funding to universities, reducing their reliance on corporate donations and ensuring that their research serves the public good.
This study raises crucial questions about the role of academic institutions in the fight against climate change and the need to safeguard scientific integrity from corporate influence.