Consensus and dissent between climate activists and oil and gas employees in the United Kingdom
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Exley, Ella
Halttunen, Krista
Staffell, Iain
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
With global temperatures breaching 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the energy system must undergo rapid, radical transformation to avoid irreversible ecosystem damage. This complex challenge is exacerbated by polarized views between activists advocating for a rapid end to fossil fuels and oil and gas (O&G) companies profiting from their continued use. This study examines these contrasting perspectives through ten semi-structured interviews with members of two prominent climate activist groups and employees of two international oil companies. This initial exploration identifies that activists and O&G employees agreed on the urgency of climate change, the need to reduce energy demand, the central role of government and policy, and the continued use of existing O&G projects. However, they disagreed on the scale and pace of change achievable, and the role of the O&G industry within the energy transition. The identified agreement areas suggest common ground between these groups, offering potential routes to reducing polarization.
Date Issued
2026-01-16
Date Acceptance
2025-11-21
Citation
iScience, 2026, 29 (1)
ISSN
2589-0042
Publisher
Elsevier
Journal / Book Title
iScience
Volume
29
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. 1 This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
10.1016/j.isci.2025.114229
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
114229
Date Publish Online
2025-12-17