Oil and Gas Industry's Impact on Higher Education

The worsening climate crisis and the growing global fossil fuel production, with oil and gas companies making record profits, have thrown light on a critical issue—the influence of these industries on universities. The University of Regina, as part of its commitment to The Conversation CA, provides funding for research that sheds light on this significant matter. 
 
Our team comprises researchers specializing in just energy transitions and climate justice. We collaborated with international colleagues to conduct an exhaustive review of academic investigations into ties between fossil fuel industries and higher education institutions in four countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. 
 
In all these countries, we found multiple instances where oil and gas companies have been financially investing in universities using a broad range of tactics. For example, providing funding for research related to fossil fuels or their technologies diverts attention from more sustainable approaches towards addressing climate change issues. 
 
An instance from Canada shows how 238 large fossil fuel firms deeply embedded themselves within university research institutes working on greening the fossil fuel production process. Similarly, industry representatives often donate generously to universities while serving advisory roles. 
 
Fossil Fuel Companies even extend their reach into curriculum design, promoting a future dependent on them. Australia's School of Oil & Gas Engineering at the University of Western Australia saw active participation from dozens such representatives during course development stages. 
 
These organizations also offer endowed professorships or scholarships besides sponsoring public lectures or conferences, further deepening their association with academia. ConocoPhillips & Enbridge funded professorships at Alberta & Calgary Universities in Canada, while Shell donated $2 million for an endowed chair at Colorado State University in the U.S.A., are a few examples among many others. 
 
We identified 'Climate Obstruction' as one key reason behind such investments, which is essentially efforts aimed at blocking action against climate change through strategic long-term plans, including influencing science favoring continued reliance upon fossil fuels, much like what the tobacco and pharmaceutical sectors did earlier. 
 
One study revealed that university research funded by these corporations tends to be more favorable towards natural gas and less supportive of renewable energy compared to independent research. For instance, an internal memo from a PR firm advised BP in 2017 to target Princeton University as a partner capable of authenticating its commitment towards low carbon. 
 
The industry has used universities’ credibility for their advantage by influencing policy-making, weakening regulations, and ensuring fossil fuels remain part of the mix in a low-carbon transition. They also diverted academic climate research towards narrow technological fixes offering false solutions while drawing resources away from actual systemic changes required for phasing out fossil fuels. 
 
Our study emphasizes universities disclosing financial ties with these corporations. Unfortunately, many institutions decline disclosure even when subjected to freedom of information requests, citing reasons like proprietary information or competition. 
 
In order to maintain public trust and integrity, it is essential that higher education institutions sever ties with such industries that inadvertently endorse ecological destruction and human suffering. Over 950 academics have already urged the U.K. & U.S.A. universities through an open letter for this cause. 
 
As we face worsening climate instability and deepening injustices related to it, there is an urgent need for independently funded higher education institutions dedicated toward knowledge creation, contributing towards a healthier, stable, and more equitable future.