The European Parliament faced calls Thursday to strip ExxonMobil lobbyists of their access badges after the US oil giant missed the assembly's first hearing into claims it knowingly misled the public on climate change.
Greens deputy Molly Scott Cato told the hearing in Brussels she would formally make the request later Thursday to deny ExxonMobil its six registered parliament access badges.
Activists and scientists told the hearing that ExxonMobil has for decades misled the public about the threat climate change poses to the world, comparing it the tobacco lobby's past campaign.
Under parliamentary rules, Cato said, "lobbyists shall have their access badges denied" when they refuse without good reason to comply with a formal summons to attend a committee hearing or inquiry.
"I believe this provides us with grounds we need to withdraw Exxon's lobby badges," the British MEP said, adding she would write a letter to that effect later Thursday.
Her call was supported by MEP Eleonora Evi, who sits on the petition and environment committees that hosted the first EU public hearing into Exxon's approach to climate change.