How does fossil fuel-funded research affect policy?

01/13/24 • 28 min

Bertie speaks to Agathe Bounfour, Oil Investigations Lead at Transport and Environment, about her investigation into the fossil funded research group CONCAWE.
The investigation revealed that CONCAWE undermined the European Union's attempt to regulate human exposure to benzene, a carcinogenic pollutant. After oil industry lobbying and research, the new regulated limit from 2024 will be ten times higher than the original suggestions from scientific agencies.
Read the full investigation here.
Podcast editing by Vasko Kostovski.
Further reading:

'Action to tackle air pollution failing to keep up with research', The Guardian, 2023
'Benzene and worker cancers: ‘An American tragedy’', The Center for Public Integrity, 2014
Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming, Naomi Oreskes & Erik M. Conway, 2012
Doubt is Their Product: How industry's assault on science threatens your health, David Michaels, 2008

Click here for our website to read all our most recent Land and Climate Review features and pieces.

'Action to tackle air pollution failing to keep up with research', The Guardian, 2023
'Benzene and worker cancers: ‘An American tragedy’', The Center for Public Integrity, 2014
Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming, Naomi Oreskes & Erik M. Conway, 2012
Doubt is Their Product: How industry's assault on science threatens your health, David Michaels, 2008

Click here for our website to read all our most recent Land and Climate Review features and pieces.

Previous Episode

Are carbon offsets mostly worthless?

In this episode Alasdair caught up with Rachel Rose Jackson, director of climate research and policy at campaign organisation Corporate Accountability to discuss their new research with the Guardian which found considerable flaws in the 50 most used offset projects. He asked about the recent research and what value offset projects might actually have.
The Land and Climate podcast is produced by Vasko Kostovski

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Are green flights clear for takeoff?

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Further reading: