Elisa Morgera, a United Nations expert on human rights and climate change, has taken a bold stance against the fossil fuel industry’s misinformation tactics, proposing something radical: their political and economic power needs to be legally and structurally dismantled. As with other fossil fuel defenders of our planet, Morgera focuses on telling them the truth hurts. She wants to ban lobbying from the fossil fuel industry, outlaw fossil fuel advertising, and criminalize disinformation putting active disinformation campaigns at the forefront arguing all of it must be eliminated to prevent horrific human rights abuses. Inaction regarding climate change is a systemic violation of human rights which is a direct accusation towards oil and gas companies which she claims have followed a “six-decade playbook” of obstruction.
The Case for “Defossilization”: A Human Rights Emergency
Morgera’s report says that climate change is a direct attack on basic rights, such as the right to life, health, food security, and housing, with fossil fuels being the main cause. The proof is overwhelming: more than 6.3 million homes in England are at risk of flooding, and that number is expected to rise to 8 million by 2050. In the UK, deaths from heat-related illnesses could reach more than 10,000 a year if things stay the same. The industry’s profits reached $4.9 trillion in 2023, with oil and gas making $2.4 trillion and coal making $2.5 trillion. This is despite the fact that communities from island nations to Indigenous lands are suffering the most from climate-related pollution and displacement.
What is the answer? “Defossilization” means getting rid of fossil fuels completely, not just from energy systems but also from politics, finance, and the media. Morgera says that small steps toward clean energy are not enough because the current infrastructure keeps emissions in place, which will hurt climate goals. She says that international law says that rich countries like the US and UK must stop using fossil fuels by 2030.
The Disinformation Machine: How Big Oil “Manufactured Doubt”
The report shows that since the 1960s, fossil fuel companies have worked together to “keep the public uninformed” about climate science, just like tobacco companies have done. Some examples are:
- Greenwashing campaigns: Ads for fossil fuels that push “low-carbon” gas or carbon capture as solutions, even though there is proof that these technologies keep us dependent on hydrocarbons.
- Lobbying blitzes: More than 100 public affairs firms in Europe work for oil and gas companies. For example, Burson Cohn & Wolfe gets more than €600,000 a year from ExxonMobil to lobby for environmental policies.
- Attacks on scientists: Climate researchers are being sued for no good reason and harassed online, and there has been a documented rise in violence against activists.
Morgera likens this to “democratic capture,” noting that fossil fuel lobbies monopolize UN climate negotiations and legislate within a capture framework. A case in point would be the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) influence over the Trump administration’s decision to exempt the energy industry from recently imposed tariffs while simultaneously advocating for increased construction of gas pipelines.
The Advertising Ban: Cutting Off the “Social License to Operate”
The advert ban in question will include all advertising sponsorships pertaining to fossil fuels, including social media and sports sponsorships. Research shows such ads exploit psychological loopholes.
- An analysis conducted in 2025 found that 92% of EU citizens living close to wind turbines reported having positive experiences, although there is ongoing opposition due to industry-funded misinformation campaigns.
- Fossil fuel aligned organizations in the US sponsored model ordinances to prohibit the construction of renewable projects in 31 states, using heavily disputed health concerns as justification.
Morgera argues the ads are critically harmful to the environment: “Ads normalize fossil fuels as essential, when they’re actually lethal.” The rationale provided supports banning such adverts, bringing to mind the example of tobacco advertising bans which led to a reduction of 40% in smoking rates in countries that adopted the bans.
Criminalizing Climate Lies: Legal Precedents and Challenges
The call to make lying illegal brings up difficult issues about free speech, but it points to laws that are already in place against fraud and putting people in danger:
- Greenwashing fines: Companies that make false claims about the environment are already fined under France’s 2021 Climate Law.
- Corporate liability: The report calls for lawsuits similar to those against opioids or asbestos, making CEOs personally responsible for climate damage.
Some people say Morgera is going too far, but she says, “You can’t shout ‘fire’ in a crowded theater.” Climate change lies are burning down the world.
Subsidies and Reparations: Funding the Transition
The report shows how unfair fossil fuel economics are:
- $1.4 trillion in global subsidies every year is enough to pay for all the gaps in education around the world twice.
- Tax avoidance: Shell and ExxonMobil moved profits to places like Bermuda to avoid paying taxes, which hurt countries’ ability to adapt to climate change.
- Morgera wants these funds to be used for:
- Windfall taxes would pay for climate super funds for countries that are at risk.
- Land restitution: giving polluted areas back to Indigenous groups.
The Road Ahead: Radical or Realistic?
Some people say the proposals are impossible, but Morgera points out that in 90% of markets, renewable energy is now cheaper than fossil fuels. Politics, not technology, is the problem: “The transition seems radical only because the industry spent billions to make it seem so.”
The UN Human Rights Council is going to talk about the suggestions, so the lines are drawn. As one supporter said, “First they ignore you, then they lobby against you, and then they get sued.”
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Suhail Ahmed is a passionate digital professional and nature enthusiast with over 8 years of experience in content strategy, SEO, web development, and digital operations. Alongside his freelance journey, Suhail actively contributes to nature and wildlife platforms like Discover Wildlife, where he channels his curiosity for the planet into engaging, educational storytelling.
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