Equinor case studies

A group that includes many leading climate scientists have lodged a formal complaint with the Science Museum, accusing it of ‘undermining its integrity as a scientific institution’ by partnering with BP, Shell and Statoil despite their continued contribution to climate change.

Sponsorship is one of the cheapest and most effective ways for a fossil fuel company to clean up its image. Over the years, Statoil has formed many different partnerships to deflect attention from its plans to drill in the Arctic or the Great Australian Bight.

Oil companies have successfully lobbied to block numerous climate regulations and undermine support for clean energy.

Statoil/Equinor is one of the top ten gas lobbyists in Europe, pushing for new gas pipelines and power plants that would ‘lock in’ the use of this fossil fuel for decades

Oil companies have caused huge damage by spreading doubt about the seriousness of climate change and fuelling climate science denial.

Unlike its competitors, Statoil/Equinor has managed to sustain a cleaner, more responsible image. In fact, the company has been found guilty of bribery and is often under scrutiny for its business dealings.

Norwegian energy giant Statoil has become ‘Equinor’ — inspired by ‘words like equal, equality and equilibrium’. But this is just an exercise in greenwashing. It remains, at heart, a fossil fuel company.

If countries are serious about limiting climate change, approximately 80 percent of the fossil fuels we already know about will need to be left in the ground. However, the business models of major oil companies rely on continuing to use fossil fuels at similar levels over the coming decades. This puts them on a direct collision course with genuine efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2010, Statoil was sued by its own human rights advisor, who claimed that the company had essentially given a false job description, misrepresenting the Human Rights Advisor as a meaningful position when in fact it was just a PR role.

Despite recently removing the word ‘oil’ from its name, the Norwegian energy giant remains a big player in the fossil fuel industry. Clever rebranding and promises of clean energy investments can’t hide the fact that the company plans to keep at least 80% of its future operations in oil and gas.