U.S. Front Groups Take a European Vacation [1]
Submitted by Diane Farsetta [2] on
Britain's Independent reports on a "detailed and disturbing strategy document" authored by a U.S.-based Competitive Enterprise Institute [3] (CEI) official that seeks "to destroy Europe's support for the Kyoto treaty on climate change [4]." CEI's Chris Horner [5], also a senior figure in the "Cooler Heads Coalition [6]," is "a veteran campaigner against Kyoto." CEI has received "almost $1.5m from ExxonMobil [7]." Horner's plan "seeks to draw together major international companies, academics, think-tanks [8], commentators, journalists and lobbyists [9] from across Europe," under the name "European Sound Climate Policy Coalition [10]." The coalition, Horner suggested, would be based in Brussels and have "anti-Kyoto position papers, expert spokesmen, detailed advice and networking" devoted to undermining the accord. He pitched the plan to Ford [11] Europe, Lufthansa and German utility company RWE; the document says that Lufthansa, Exxon and Ford "have already indicated their interest." Asked by the Independent whether a U.S. lobbyist funded in part by oil companies should be targeting European companies, Horner replied, "Everybody else does."