CAMPAIGN EXXONMOBIL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Peter Altman, National Coordinator

January 6, 2000

NEWS RELEASE: For release January 6, 2000
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Peter Altman, National Coordinator, (512) 479-0335 or (512) 750-0373 (cell phone)

(AUSTIN, TX) - Today a coalition of 42 religious and environmental organizations in 17 states unveiled Campaign ExxonMobil (CEM), an ambitious effort aimed at pressuring ExxonMobil to reform its corporate practices that contribute to global warmingA nationwide coalition of religious and environmental organizations was unveiled today with the singular focus of leading Exxon MobilExxonMobil towards corporate responsibility on global warming. Campaign Exxon Mobil (CEM) was announced today in conjunction with the actions of thirty-one religious groups which filed a resolution calling on the company to make a serious commitment to develop renewable energy. CEM is urging the companyExxon MobilExxonMobil to catch up to its competitors by acknowledgeging that human activity is causing global warming, and ceaseing its campaign of misinformation that to confuses the public and policymakers about the facts regarding this severe environmental threat.global warming, The coalition has filed a resolution calling on the company to commitand committing to serious investments in clean, efficient and reliable energy sources for the 21st century. Twenty-two religious groups have filed a resolution calling on the company to make a serious commitment to develop renewable energy.

"While many energy and fortune 500 companies have acknowledged that global warming is real and are working to address it, ExxonMobil is keeping its blinders on and clinging to the hope that its political power will protect it from facing reality", said Peter Altman, national coordinator for CEM. "With this campaign we aim to remove one of the biggest obstacles to efforts to stop global warming: the denial, delay and misinformation of the world's largest energy company, ExxonMobil," concluded Altman.As more and more companies such as British Petroleum and Ford Motor Co. have recognized the threat of global warming in recent years, Exxon MobilExxonMobil's position has become harder and harder to defend" said Peter Altman, national coordinator for Campaign Exxon MobilExxonMobil. "Exxon MobilExxonMobil is environmentally behind, scientifically behind, and now competitively behind on the issue of global warming."

"Our faith demands that we act as stewards of creation,. and gGlobal warming threatens to destroy it God's earth," Sister Pat Daly of the Dominican Sisters of New Jersey Sister Pat Daly of the Caldwell Dominicans of New Jersey. "ExxonMobil's position of denial and misinformation on global warming puts all of Creation at risk, and we cannot simply cannot stand by and let them do that." Lasfeigne's is one of 41 groups nationwide working to change ExxonMobil's position. Another Houston order, the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, co-filed a resolution with ExxonMobil calling on the company to invest in renewable energy.

The announcement of theThis campaign follows follows the announcement by Ford Motor Company that it will not renew its membership in the Global Climate Coalition, an industry-funded lobbying group dedicated to stalling action to cut the pollution emissions that causes global warming. BP/Amoco, Sunoco and Shell have also recently left the GCC, acknowledging that enough is known about global warming to begin taking action.

The number of corporations acknowledging the science of global warming has increased to the degree that the Wall Street Journal recently wrote, "In major corners of corporate America, it's suddenly becoming cool to fight global warming." (Wall Street Journal Oct. 18, 1999)

In contrast, Exxon MobilExxonMobil shows no sign of reevaluating rescinding its membership in the GCC, and has in fact invested huge sums of money in multiple public relations campaigns designed to further confuse the public and undermine political leadership to stop the threat of global warming. Members of the GCC have spent over $65 million in soft money contributions over the last ten years (Common Cause, "Some Like It Hot"). Exxon and Mobil together have funded almost $4.3 million of that effort.

CEM was formed to urge the corporation to update its policies to reflect the current scientific understanding of global warming. ItsCoalition members are from over XX thirteen states and are largely comprised of religious religious investors with stock in the corporation. "We are part of Campaign Exxon MobilExxonMobil because we have a moral obligation to see that the companies in which we invest act responsibly toward God's people and His planet," said Father Mike Crosby, of Milwaukee, the primary filer of the shareholder resolution. "It is vital for the well-being of this planet that Exxon MobilExxonMobil set a foot on the path of clean energy."

The shareholder resolution filed against Exxon MobilExxonMobil in December of 1999 on XXX is important because of the company's ranking as the 7th largest carbon producer in the world, . Pcontributingroducing upwards to 2.69% of the world's carbon emissions, and, equivalent to approximately 167 million metric tons per year, Exxon MobilExxonMobil is the single largest U.S. corporate emitter. (Kingpins of Carbon: How Fossil Fuel Producers Contribute to Global Warming. NRDC, Union of Concerned Scientists, U.S. PIRG Education Fund. July 1999.)

"I have been extremely pleased with the level of support and dedication of the coalition membersse groups to our goals," said Altman. "PeopleThey know it will take some time to win this campaign, and yet they are committed for the long haul."

Additional Quotes from CEM members:

On the Global Climate Coalition:

"This multi-million-dollar misinformation lobbying operation is reminiscent of the tobacco industry's efforts to claim that cigarettes don't cause cancer," said Mike Hess, Executive Director of the Socially Responsible Investment Coalition, of San Antonio, Texas.

On CEM's mission:

Instrumental in encouraging Ford Motor Company's decision to leave the Global Climate Coalition, Sister Pat Daly of the Caldwell Dominicans of New Jersey sees Campaign ExxonMobil as a way to mobilize supporters around the country to play a role in changing ExxonMobil's behavior. "Supporters will be finding ways to exert pressure on ExxonMobil board members, increasing public awareness of the company's reckless environmental behavior and organizing other groups to get involved." said Daly.

On Global Warming:

"Global warming will have its greatest impact on the poor throughout the world. We must educate, motivate and activate our congregations to ensure that global climate change be halted, and then reversed," said Bill Somplatsky-Jarmon of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

On the Religious Communities Involvement:

"The religious community is targeting ExxonMobil because the company plays a major role in preventing solutions to global warming," said John Celichowski, of OFM Capuchin in Washington, D.C. "The company continues to deny that global warming is a result of human activity despite the fact that the vast majority of the world's climate scientists and governments agree that this is the case and the risk is real."

Leo Zonneveld CICM American I.H.M. (Immaculate Heart of Mary) Province Culpepper VA
Bob Massie Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies Boston MA
Tom Kreiter CSC "Congregation of Holy Cross, Southern Province" Austin TX
Nieves E. de la Rosa CSA Congregation of St. Agnes Fond du Lac WI
Laurie Michalowski SSSF Congregation of the Passion Chicago IL
Lillian Anne Healy CCVI Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word Houston TX
Walter L. Farrell SJ "Detroit Province, Society of Jesus" Detroit MI
Judy Byron OP Dominican Sisters Congregation of Holy Cross Seattle WA
John Coifman Environmental Media Services Washington DC
Ramona Klaubauf FSPA Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration Eagan MI
Michelle Chan-Fischel Friends of the Earth Washington DC
Timothy Smith "Immaculate Heart Missions, Inc." New York NY
Ariane Van Buren Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility New York NY
Steven P. O'Neil SM "Marianist Provincial House, Province of NY" Baltimore MD
Marie Dennis Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers Maryknoll NY
Regina Rowan MMS Medical Mission Sisters Hyde Park MA
Barbara Glendon OSU Mercy Consolidated Asset Management New York NY
Kalee Kreider National Environmental Trust Washington DC
John LasFeigne OMI Oblates of Mary Immaculate Houston TX
Chris Ball Ozone Action Washington DC
Bill Somplatsky-Jarmon Presbyterian Church USA Louisville KY
John Celichowski OFMCap.Province of St. Joseph of the Capuchin Order Washington DC
Michael Crosby OFMCap.Province of St. Joseph of the Capuchin Order (Primary Res. Filer) Milwaukee WI
Roby Roberts Renewable Energy Policy Project Washington DC
Timothy P. Dewane School Sisters of Notre Dame - MI Province Elm Grove IL
Helen Butzler SSSF School Sisters of St. Francis Milwaukee WI
Ruth Kuhn SC Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati Cincinnati OH
Barbara Aires S.C. Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth Jersey City NJ
Doris Gormley OSF Sisters of Charity of St. Francis of Philadelphia Aston PA
Virginia Unsworth S.C. Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent De Paul Bronx NY
Ethel Vaca C.S.J. Sisters of St. Joseph of La Grange La Grange Park IL
Judy Schroeder SSJ "Sisters of St. Joseph Of Nazareth, MI" Nazareth MI
Patricia Kelly SSJ "Sisters of St. Joseph, PA" Philadelphia PA
Gabriela Lohan SHSP Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate San Antonio TX
Dorothy Ann Dirkx SFM Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother Broken Arrow OK
Mike Hess Socially Responsible Investment Coalition San Antonio TX
James Facette S.M. The Marianists-St. Louis Province St. Louis MO
Garrett A. Isaccol "The Marist Society, Inc." Washington DC
Jaydee Hanson United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society Washington DC
Vidette Bullock Mixon United Methodist Church - General Board of Pension and Health Evanston IL
Connie Takamine United Methodist Church - Women's Division, Global Ministries New York NY
Lauren Compere Valenti Walden Asset Management Boston MA

For More Information Contact Peter Altman, National Coordinator, (512) 479-0335

Christopher Ball Director of Outreach Ozone Action 1700 Connecticut Ave., NW Washington, DC 20009