Investors calling for Exxon Mobil Corp. to study the impact of getting its oil and gas business to net-zero emissions by 2050 will push for talks later this year with what they hope is a more sympathetic board.
Exxon Mobil shareholders voted 49.4% in favor of the study, a regulatory filing showed on June 21. Companies typically respond to proposals that get majority support from investors.
“We were validated,” said John Geissinger, chief investment officer at Christian Brothers Investment Services (CBIS), which wants Exxon Mobil to quantify the financial impact of a net-zero strategy. “A significant number of shareholders believe that assessing the risks to the company under different climate scenarios is critically important.”
Geissinger expects to hold talks with Exxon Mobil this fall on the proposal, and hopes to collaborate on the outlines of the report.
The CBIS proposal won support of big investors BlackRock and State Street Global Advisors, which combined hold more than 12% of Exxon Mobil shares.
“We want to have some transparency to the risks that the company faces,” Geissinger said. The requested report would examine the impact on Exxon of a world moving to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
RELATED:
Engine No. 1, the Giant-Killing Hedge Fund, Has Big Plans
Exxon Mobil recommended shareholders vote against the proposal, citing the range of scenarios within its planning. But a quarter of its board lost their seats to nominees of a hedge fund prodding Exxon Mobil to cut spending on fossil fuels and address a world moving to lower-carbon fuels.
“We value the input and feedback we receive from our investors, and we will continue to engage with our shareholders as we move forward,” Exxon Mobil spokesman Casey Norton said.
Exxon Mobil has pledged to limit the pace of growth of carbon emissions that contribute to climate change, but has not agreed to net-zero emissions by 2050 as rivals BP Plc, Royal Dutch Shell Plc and TotalEnergies have done.
Recommended Reading
Venture Global’s Plaquemines Gets FERC Approval for Phase 2 Generators
2025-03-24 - Venture Global continues to ramp up production after an early winter startup.
Brookfield Sells Pipeline Stake to ArcLight for Exit Totaling $1.7B
2025-03-24 - Kinder Morgan will continue as Natural Gas Pipeline Co. of America’s operator following Brookfield Infrastructure’s sale of a 25% stake to Arclight Capital Partners.
Apollo Acquires BP’s Gas Pipeline Stake for $1B
2025-03-23 - BP Pipelines holds a 12% interest in the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), which transports natural gas from Azerbaijan across Turkey.
Energy Transfer Prevails Against Greenpeace, Wins $660MM in Damages
2025-03-20 - A jury in North Dakota has ruled in favor of Energy Transfer with a $660 million blow to environmental group Greenpeace.
Canadian Province Gives Environmental Warning to Pipeline Project
2025-03-19 - The Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Project is a 497-mile project that would ship up to 3.6 Bcf/d of natural gas to an LNG facility on the Canadian west coast.
Comments
Add new comment
This conversation is moderated according to Hart Energy community rules. Please read the rules before joining the discussion. If you’re experiencing any technical problems, please contact our customer care team.