Report detailing ‘greenwashing’ ads on Google prompts Democratic lawmakers to write search engine’s CEO

Several House Democrats asked Google’s CEO on Friday for explanations about recent allegations that the search engine has profited from “greenwashing” ads placed by major oil companies.

A November report from The Center for Countering Digital Hate accused Google of enabling oil companies’ greenwashing efforts — or their attempts to appear more sustainable and environmentally friendly than they actually are.

Several major oil companies — including BP, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell and Aramco — spent $23.7 million over the past two years to place ads on Google Search, of which $10.9 million went toward greenwashing ads, the report found.

Google also accepted $421,000 from the Competitive Enterprise Institute for ads that promoted climate denialism, according to the report.

“We are concerned that these ads mislead the public about the environmental credentials of Big Oil companies, the extent to which they are contributing to the climate crisis and, in some cases, spread outright climate disinformation,” the group of House Democrats said in Friday’s letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), the chairwoman of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, was joined on the letter by fellow Democratic Reps. Alan Lowenthal (Calif.), Katie Porter (Calif.), Jared Huffman (Calif.) and Adam Schiff (Calif.).

“This business practice is highly likely to mislead the public by representing Big Oil companies as green companies when they actually represent a significant share of global carbon emissions,” the letter continued.

The group also noted that Google’s relationship with the oil companies contradicted its “policies and representations to the public as a green and sustainable company.” 

In October 2021, Google updated its ad policy to ban “content that contradicts well-established scientific consensus around the existence and causes of climate change.”

“Many people around the world trust Google Search services to provide them with accurate and relevant information,” the lawmakers added in the letter. “This trust is undermined when Google’s services are polluted by greenwashing ads and climate disinformation.”