Climate Obstruction

Publication on www.duurzaam-ondernemen.nl, 13 August 2024 The piece is translated to English by using ChatGPT. A report written by Publieke Zaken and QuO Mare claims that a fossil-free Netherlands by 2050 will cost more than a CO2-neutral Netherlands, as reported by the portal duurzaam-ondernemen.nl last Wednesday. “Fossil-free” means no use of coal, oil, and gas, while “CO2-neutral” refers to capturing… Read More »´CO2-neutral´ wishful thinking with CCS

Netherlands, July 2 – Today marks the launch of the research network Climate Obstruction NL. Climate obstruction refers to the obstacles hindering effective climate policy and action. Examples include spreading disinformation, greenwashing, delaying policies, and influencing public debate and politics. Climate obstruction is one of the reasons why the affluent Netherlands lags in implementing effective climate policy. It is also… Read More »PRESS RELEASE – New network of researchers exposes tactics that delay effective climate policy

Saturday we were at Leiden Knowledge Festival for our project with Universiteit Leiden and Reclame Fossielvrij. Visitors could do our quiz on tobacco, fossil fuels, & health, and peruse tobacco and fossil fuel ads next to subvertised versions by Fossielvrij NL [1] and Michelle Tylicki (Insta: @shelkadelic, [2]). Many found it incredible what tobacco companies got away with – for… Read More »Public outreach about tobacco & fossil fuel industry disinformation

Aaron gave a webinar to the Bromsgrove Justice and Peace Group of the Archdiocese of Birmingham on greenwashing and how the fossil fuel industry impedes climate action. What is greenwashing? How can we spot it and how can we call it out? Aaron talked about the ways in which fossil fuel companies have misled the general public in the past… Read More »Webinar on Greenwashing: How the fossil fuel industry impedes climate action

Environmental journalist Zuza Nazaruk spent the past few months chasing methane in the Port of Rotterdam, with financial support of Fonds Pascal Decroos. We supported Zuza with reporting, translation from English to Dutch, proofreading for technical correctness, and data visualistions. The article was published by Vers Beton and can be read here (in Dutch). Methane emissions are difficult to measure, but methane… Read More »The Port of Rotterdam’s sustainability strategy increases methane emissions – a forgotten greenhouse gas with higher impact than CO₂

What is corporate social responsibility and what is greenwashing? On Friday 3 March we were invited to present our research and talk about fossil fuel advertising with Masters students Communication Science at the University of Amsterdam, as part of the course ‘Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Communication’. When is advertising CSR honest and when is it not? We looked at recent… Read More »Guest lecture at UvA about fossil advertising

Together with Reclame Fossielvrij (Fossil Free Advertising), we published an analysis of the narratives used by oil companies since the invasion of Ukraine – in their public ánd lobby communications. Our recent study together with master students Sustainable Development from Utrecht University found that, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, European oil and gas companies exploit narratives around “energy… Read More »Patriotic and pragmatic: how oil companies want to be seen in an uncertain Europe