Revealed: British ad firm’s billion-dollar greenwash of US oil industry
A report by DeSmog reveals that British advertising giant WPP has facilitated approximately $1.5 billion in U.S. advertising for major oil companies since the 2015 Paris Agreement, helping shape campaigns that critics describe as misleading and detrimental to climate goals. Despite adopting a climate policy in 2022, WPP reportedly worked with all four major oil firms—ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and BP—on campaigns that downplayed fossil fuel impacts and promoted speculative climate solutions. The findings have raised concerns about the role of advertising in enabling greenwashing, even as oil companies have weakened climate targets while increasing fossil fuel promotion.
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An Extinction Rebellion demonstration at the offices of WPP in London in June 2025. Photograph: Eleventh Hour Photography/AlamyView image in fullscreenAn Extinction Rebellion demonstration at the offices of WPP in London in June 2025. Photograph: Eleventh Hour Photography/AlamyWPPRevealed: British ad firm’s billion-dollar greenwash of US oil industryWPP accused of breaching its climate policy after report reveals firm linked to twice as much oil advertising as US rivalsTJ JordanThu 30 Apr 2026 02.00 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleA British advertising conglomerate has helped the oil companies ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell and BP spend an estimated $1.5bn (£1.1bn) on adverts in the US since the 2015 Paris agreement to tackle the climate crisis, a report shows.London-based WPP was the…
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