Why You Should Care: Secretary of State Nominee

Can the former CEO of ExxonMobil perform the duties of the State Department and promote ways to use less oil to further our nation’s international and domestic climate change agreements? 

The Secretary of State is the president’s chief foreign affairs adviser, serving as our nation’s leading voice and top diplomat when it comes to international and domestic policies, alliance building and global progress.  As such, President-elect Trump’s nomination of Rex Tillerson for State is a cause for concern for many, including those who care about the future of our planet.

Mr. Tillerson has been a topic of conversation among experts and former government officials who question how his financial and personal interests as a former president and chief executive of ExxonMobil will affect the international conservation agreements made by his predecessor, Secretary of State John Kerry.

Secretary Kerry spearheaded the efforts to create climate change agreements like the Paris Agreement passed at COP21, as well as other international treaties to protect wildlife like polar bears and whales. Although Mr. Tillerson did eventually come out in favor of the COP21 agreement, it took him almost a year – which is especially concerning as the country works to implement the agreement and lead the international community to preserve our planet.

Why should you care?

Implementing, enforcing and strengthening international agreements, like the Paris Agreement, are a big part of the work that as Secretary of State Mr. Tillerson would be doing. Protecting the Arctic is considered the next big global undertaking for conservation. In 2015, as CEO of ExxonMobil, Mr. Tillerson continually pressed to have the Arctic opened up for oil drilling and fossil fuel development despite public opposition. He is also on record arguing that global warming is an “engineering problem” to which humans can adapt.

Nominee: Rex Tillerson, former CEO of ExxonMobil

Mr. Tillerson’s record on climate change suggests that future international agreements could be undermined by his own economic interests. For example, ExxonMobil remains under investigation for misleading investors for years about the dangers of climate change in order to avoid financial downfall during Mr. Tillerson’s tenure at the company. He is a far cry from Secretary Kerry who has diligently worked on climate change for more than 20 years during his political career.

During Mr. Tillerson’s first day of his nomination hearing, Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) questioned him about his views on this incredibly important issue, but Tillerson refused to directly answer him.  He was also unclear about what conflict of interests that might occur given his history with the oil company.

Our work on international species conservation and climate change are among our top priorities at Defenders of Wildlife and we will continue to fight the impacts of climate change felt by wildlife and people worldwide – that includes holding our Secretary of State accountable to lead our world towards a better climate future.