Global Climate Coalition (GCC)
The Global Climate Coalition (GCC) was an influential industry group that sought to shape U.S. climate change policy, primarily representing multinational corporations heavily reliant on fossil fuels, such as BP, ExxonMobil, and Ford. Formed in response to the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the GCC aimed to challenge the prevailing scientific consensus on climate change and opposed government-mandated reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The coalition played a significant role in lobbying against the Kyoto Protocol, emphasizing concerns over economic growth and competitiveness as reasons for rejecting regulatory measures.
Despite its initial success in influencing public policy and resisting climate regulations, the GCC began to lose its impact in the late 1990s, particularly after BP withdrew from the coalition in 1997. As scientific evidence of climate change grew stronger and public awareness increased, the GCC ultimately disbanded in 2002, claiming its mission had been fulfilled. Even after its dissolution, the GCC's legacy persisted, contributing to a culture of skepticism around climate science that continues to influence certain sectors of the business community today. As discussions around accountability for climate misinformation evolve, the GCC's past activities are increasingly scrutinized in the context of their ongoing effects on climate policy and public perception.
Global Climate Coalition (GCC)
- DATE: Established 1989; disbanded 2002
Mission
The Global Climate Coalition (GCC) is a defunct industry group that worked to set the climate change agenda of the United States. This organization was influential and successful in its endeavors. The GCC dissolved amid an increased understanding in climate science and the rise of public opinion in support of public policy to address climate change. The coalition met many of its goals prior to its dissolution.
The GCC was formed by representatives of multinational corporations reliant on the use of fossil fuels, particularly in the energy and transportation sectors. Prominent members of the GCC included BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Dupont, Ford Motor Company, Daimler Chrysler, Texaco, General Motors, and Exxon (now ExxonMobil). The mission of the GCC was to influence US public policy regarding climate change.
The GCC was organized in reaction to the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). A GCC representative argued at the libertarian think tank the Cato Institute that the IPCC report was flawed and represented the views of pro-climate-change activists. The GCC rejected all government-mandated reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the United States. The GCC was against US participation in the Kyoto Protocol. The coalition argued that climate science and the human impact on climate change were both too uncertain to justify coercive government policy intended to lessen GHG emissions. The GCC conducted lobbying and public relations campaigns to spread the skeptical view of climate change to the public.
Significance for Climate Change
The GCC was an influential factor in setting the US climate change agenda. The GCC pressured the Bill Clinton administration to reject command-and-control environmental regulations intended to address climate change. The coalition argued that burdensome regulations designed to address climate change would decrease economic growth and hinder the economic competitiveness of US companies. The GCC was an influential actor in preventing US ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. In 1998, the Senate voted to reject the 95-0.
The demise of the GCC began with the withdrawal of BP, a major multinational oil company. BP broke ranks with the GCC in May 1997. The GCC lost members as increasing scientific evidence and rising consensus alarmed governments, and people across the world demanded action on climate change. In 2002, the GCC disbanded, stating, “At this point, both Congress and the Administration (Bush II) agree that the United States should not accept mandatory cuts in emissions required by the Protocol.” The GCC claimed its mission had been accomplished, so there was no reason to maintain an active presence to shape the climate change agenda.
The skeptical view of climate change found representation in the George W. Bush administration. The administration took the view that climate science was uncertain and asked the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) for assistance in determining if IPCC reports had been tampered with by pro-climate-change-policy activists.
Although the GCC has dissolved as an organization, its activities made a lasting impact in setting the climate policy agenda in the United States. Many in the business sector continue to insist that there is no need to transform the global economy to address climate change. In June 2008, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) climatologist James E. Hansen argued that corporate executives who promote contrarian arguments against climate change theory should be held liable for their actions. Hansen contends such activities are “crimes against humanity and nature” and that executives from many fossil-fuel-intensive corporations consciously attempt to confuse the public on the state of understanding and agreement among climate scientists.
In 2022, new research published in the journal Environmental Politics supported Hansen's claims. Among the report's findings, it revealed that the efforts to delay climate action laid by the GCC in the 1990s have continued to negatively impact American climate change policy and the research would help to hold corporations responsible for their role in increasing global warming.
Bibliography
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Brown, Lester R. Eco-Economy: Building an Economy for the Earth. New York: W. W. Norton, 2001.
Lewis, Paul. “U.S. Industries Oppose Emission Proposals.” The New York Times, August 22, 1995.
McMullen, Jane. "The Audacious PR Plot That Seeded Doubt About Climate Change." BBC, 22 July 2022, www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-62225696. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Pilkington, Ed. “Put Oil Firm Chiefs on Trial, Says Leading Climate Change Scientist.” The Guardian, Monday, June 23, 2008.
Yoder, Kate, and Joseph Winters. "They Derailed Climate Action for a Decade. And Bragged about It." Grist, 15 Apr. 2022, grist.org/accountability/how-the-global-climate-coalition-derailed-climate-action/. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.