8 Shue, H. (2017) Responsible for what? Carbon producer CO2 concentrations and the energy transition. Climatic Change 144:591. doi:10.1007/s10584017-2042-9 Q14: Can you walk us through these articles or publications? A14: Frumhoff et al (2015) explores the conceptual territory of climate responsibility, considers the distinctive responsibilities of the major investorowned producers of fossil fuels, assesses the actions these companies took and could have taken to act upon the scientific evidence of climate change and conclude that major investor-owned fossil energy companies carry significant responsibility for climate change. This conclusion rests on four key pillars: • • • • These companies have produced a large share of the products responsible for climate change; They continued to produce them well after the danger was wellestablished scientifically and recognized by international policymakers; They worked systematically to prevent the political action that might have greatly limited further emissions, including through unethical practices such as promoting disinformation; and While now ostensibly acknowledging the threat represented by climate change and the need for reductions in emissions, they continue to engage in business practices that drive expansive emissions from fossil fuel production and use for decades Frumhoff et al (2015) argue that it is still possible for these companies to effectively contribute to a solution, including by paying “for a share of the harms resulting from the use of their products, both for the damages that have already occurred and the costs of preparing to limit the damages from further, now unavoidable impacts that responsible actions by these companies could have, and should have, helped to avoid.” Mulvey et al (2015) documents the decades’ long campaign by several of the world’s largest fossil fuel companies to deceive the public by “distorting the realities and risks of climate change, sometimes acting directly and sometimes acting indirectly through trade associations and front groups.” The internal documents collected and excerpted in the report show that for nearly three decades, major fossil fuel companies “knowingly worked to distort climate science findings, deceive the public, and block policies designed to hasten a needed transition to a clean energy economy.” Q15: Based on your extensive research, do you have any insights on what steps respondent Carbon Majors should take to remedy, eliminate, and prevent human rights harms resulting from the fossil fuel products they extract and sell?