March 30, 2023
Fossil Fuel Companies Are Donating Millions to Skew University Research
By Eleanor Buchanan
A new report from Data for Progress and Fossil Free Research examines the influence Big Oil and other polluters have in higher education.
By Abby Saks and Phoebe Barr
In March, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its sixth assessment report, summarizing the current knowledge of the impacts and risks of climate change. “Climate change is a threat to human well-being and planetary health. There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a livable and sustainable future for all,” reads the 2023 report. “The choices and actions implemented in this decade will have impacts now and for thousands of years.”
We are once again reminded that catastrophic, irreversible damage to Earth’s climate can only be prevented by immediate and robust climate efforts—including a complete halt on existing and currently planned fossil fuel projects. Despite knowing of the threats posed by climate change since the 1970s, Big Oil has sought to maintain the status quo and impede climate action, buying off policy-makers and waging disinformation wars in the media.
But colleges and universities have begun waking up to the industry’s toxic influence. In 2021, Harvard University announced that it would divest its endowment from fossil fuels, triggering a wave at other colleges, from Boston University to the University of Minnesota. Despite this progress, many of these schools continue to allow oil and gas giants to sponsor research and educational programs tied to climate science and energy policy.
