Contribution short abstract

What do fossil fuel companies get out of academia? We examine how the fossil fuel industry embeds itself in academia by analyzing 130,000 EC funded research projects, data and documents obtained from Freedom of Information requests at Dutch universities and industry documents.

Contribution long abstract

What do fossil fuel companies get out of academia? Using data from over 130,000 European Commission funded research projects, data and documents obtained from Freedom of Information requests at Dutch universities as well as industry documents now in the public domain, we examine how the fossil fuel industry embeds itself in academia, and how it uses this to steer academic discourse and secure it social licence to operate.

We examine how universities are used to “generate agenda-setting content”, “provide thought leadership and research technology that could underpin [the] role for gas”. We do so by quantifying the shift in Europe away from explicit fossil fuel research goals and towards “incremental fossil” mitigation solutions such as CCS and hydrogen. In addition, we analyze how fossil fuel companies came to dominate research practice and government strategy simultaneously through industry, lobbying and co-opting ‘environmental’ organisations and allied research institutions.

Our research paints a picture where universities are unaware that they are being manipulated by an industry interested only in saving itself at any cost. We draw parallels to the tobacco industry since the 1990’s and other health-harming industries. By exposing their tactics, we hope that those in decision-making roles at institutions can avoid being (unwitting) enablers of climate obstruction and take steps to preserve academic freedom.

(re: presenting/attending, we can discuss with you which of us should present/attend if the contribution is accepted)