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When the Russia-Ukraine war hit in 2022, Big Oil’s climate messaging changed quickly. A new report found that four major oil companies quietly dropped their green promises and shifted to pushing fossil fuels as a permanent necessity. The report analyzed 1,859 communications from BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, and Chevron between 2020 and 2024.

Before the war, these companies sounded like climate heroes. BP and Shell promised net zero emissions by 2050. ExxonMobil talked up algae fuel. Chevron promoted carbon capture. They called themselves partners in the energy transition. Critics called it greenwashing, pointing out that their actual investments in clean energy were tiny.

Then Russia invaded Ukraine. Energy prices spiked. The companies saw an opening. They switched their message fast. Instead of climate pledges, they started talking about energy security and national security. Chevron used that shift to justify raising its Permian Basin oil output by roughly 15%, targeting approximately 1 million barrels per day by 2025, according to company statements. The net zero commitments disappeared from their communications.

When Russia invaded Ukraine, Big Oil swapped climate pledges for energy security messaging — and never looked back.

By 2023, the companies had found a middle ground. They acknowledged emissions reductions but insisted fossil fuels had to expand at the same time. They called it a “both, and” approach. They backed away from calling themselves climate leaders but kept enough green language to avoid looking like they’d completely abandoned the cause.

By 2024, the tone hardened further. Oil and gas weren’t just useful anymore. They were framed as essential to modern life, economic stability, and even technological progress. Some companies have reportedly begun linking fossil fuels to powering AI data centers. Words like “responsible,” “balanced,” and “pragmatic” became their standard vocabulary. Technologies like carbon capture and blue hydrogen were promoted as climate solutions, even though they depend on continued fossil fuel use. Meanwhile, Shell cut clean energy spending targets while simultaneously pursuing new offshore projects and reallocating capital away from renewables.

Fossil fuels are responsible for at least half of the carbon dioxide emissions driving climate change. Researchers behind the report say this messaging shift is more sophisticated than old-school greenwashing. They say it creates a spiral of silence that hides public support for climate action and slows real progress. Surveys show that 80 to 89 percent of people worldwide support stronger government action on climate change, yet many assume their views are not widely shared and stay silent. Oil companies also pursued a social license to operate by hiring top PR agencies to shape public belief about their social responsibility and head off protests and legal challenges.

✅ Claims in this article were verified using AI-assisted fact-checking.

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