Big Oil CEOs to huddle on sidelines of UN climate summit

CEOs of the world’s biggest oil companies will face critical questions from environmentalists at an invite-only forum Sept. 23 in New York City, on the sidelines of a major UN climate summit.

Why it matters: The burning of fossil fuels that oil and gas companies produce is a big reason Earth’s temperature is rising, yet their products are also the foundation of the global economy.

• Whether you love or hate them, the role these companies play is inherent to addressing climate change, particularly in the absence of U.S. presidential leadership on the issue.

Driving the news: Chevron CEO Michael Wirth is planning to attend for the first time, a spokesperson said. The CEOs of BP and Shell are also set to be there.

• The group hosting the invite-only dialogue, the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, is funded by 13 of the world’s biggest oil and gas producers, with each of their CEOs invited to participate.

Flashback: This year’s meeting is the second such one in the U.S. since the group launched five years ago. At last year’s NY event, 11 CEOs showed up, with just one from the newly joined U.S. members: Vicki Hollub, CEO of Occidental.

For the record: An Occidental spokesperson declined to comment on whether Hollub will be there again. ExxonMobil, which joined the group last year too, also declined to comment on whether CEO Darren Woods will partake.

Go deeper:

• Inside Big Oil’s emerging climate strategy
• Pressure grows around UN climate-change summit