Exxon Mobil Corp., the world’s largest petroleum firm, is ramping up efforts to lobby for the adoption of a carbon tax among other oil players in the United States.
The company maintained its years-long stance on the matter of global warming—the need for a revenue-independent carbon tax. However, it has not actively pushed its position to its counterparts in the US until recently, sources said.
A revenue-neutral carbon tax is preferable to the hodgepodge of current and future regulations on state, federal and international levels, Exxon spokesman Alan Jeffers said.
Specifically, a carbon tax would quantify the price of each ton of carbon emitted into the atmosphere. Which part of the production and consumption process the tax would be imposed depends on various proposals.
Michael McKenna, president of the energy lobbying firm MWR Strategies, said that the company has been more active in the last six months in asserting their position on the issue.
Exxon is the world’s largest publicly owned oil company, and faces the most pressure to address the issue of climate change and global warming. It is also in hot water with the government for an alleged conspiracy to cover up its knowledge of global warming.
