Fossil fuel groups tap into inflationary fears as climate groups recede from digital ads
Top climate-related digital ad spenders last week include ExxonMobil, BP, LCV, Geothermal, and the Propane Education & Research Council
Climate, clean energy, and conservation advocacy groups have significantly reduced their spending on political ads across Facebook, Google/YouTube, and Snapchat following the final passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, which President Joe Biden signed into law this week. Meanwhile, we noticed that more fossil fuel companies and their allies are growing their investment in digital ads, especially on Facebook, to either exacerbate misplaced fears about inflation around the Build Back Better Act or to continue greenwashing their brands.
A look at the top digital ad spenders nationwide
Here are the top 25 spenders nationwide on climate and energy-related ads on Facebook and Instagram from last week:
As far as we can tell, almost all climate groups scaled down their Facebook ad campaigns last week, especially Climate Power, whose spending on the platform decreased by 81 percent from $109,044 the previous week to just $20,332 last week to focus entirely on email acquisition around passing the Build Back Better Act. The Green New Deal Network has also stopped running Facebook ads as of this writing. Most other groups, including the Environmental Defense Fund, Greenpeace, and NRDC held their spending relatively steady with fundraising ads.
Among the few groups still using Facebook political ads for public pressure include the League of Conservation Voters, which has so far spent around $10k on ads pressuring Reps. Kurt Schrader, Kathleen Rice, Ed Case, and Jared Golden to stick to their word and pass BBBA this week. We also noticed that the National Audubon Society Action Fund launched a Facebook ad campaign pressuring lawmakers to “vote YES on investing in innovative clean energy solutions.” Their targets include Reps. Lizzie Fletcher, Colin Allred, Angie Craig, Tom Reed, Trey Hollingsworth, Brian Fitzpatrick, Vicente Gonzalez, Pete Meijer, John Katko, Sharice Davids, Kim Schrier, David Joyce, Lauren Underwood, Josh Harder, Cindy Axne, and Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin. FWIW, LCV’s ads are mostly targeted at young adults, while Audubon Action’s are mostly targeted at older women.
While many climate groups are keeping their Facebook ad spending on the relatively low side, some polluters and their allies are starting a new push on the platform to try to derail most action by the federal government. ExxonMobil was one of the biggest spenders overall on the platform last week as it continues to funnel money into anti-tax ads, while outside groups including the American Petroleum Institute and the Empowerment Alliance appear to be tapping into the inflationary fears with their new ads.
Other polluting advertisers, including BASF, BP America, and the Propane Education & Research Council are using Facebook ads to present their companies and products as environmentally friendly. BASF, the largest chemical producer in the world, spent over $20k last week claiming that they’re “making battery materials for electric vehicles even more sustainable”; BP spent over $67k on greenwashing ads highlight how a new law in Washington that is forcing them to reduce one plant’s emissions, claiming they “advocated for the Climate Commitment Act in WA”; and Propane spent a record $57k on nationwide ads claiming that the gas is “an environmentally friendly alternative energy that helps you reduce carbon emissions.”
Additionally, here’s how much major groups have spent week-to-week on Facebook ads related to climate, conservation, and energy.
We found that just four groups ran pro-climate ads on YouTube or Google last week: the Nature Conservancy, LCV, NC WARN, and Third Way. The biggest of these investors was Nature Conservancy, which spent $8,600 on banner ads continuing to pressure a handful of Democrats to “support climate action,” while LCV spent just $4,600 on a few YouTube ads supporting Sens. Patty Murray, Mark Kelly, Maggie Hassan, and Catherine Cortez Masto. NC Warn also spent $4,600 on one new YouTube ad and several other banner ads urging Gov. Roy Cooper to oppose Dominion expanding its fracking operations while Third Way spent $4,100 on YouTube ads supporting Reps. Lucy McBath and Cindy Axne.
There were no new climate, conservation, or clean energy-related political ads on Snapchat last week, but here’s how much the biggest spenders have invested in the platform so far this year:
Climate, clean energy, and conservation ads in next year’s key states
We picked up a few new Facebook ads mentioning climate change, conservation, and/or energy in some of the biggest races Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
GA-SEN: Gary Black started running a fundraising video ad citing the price of gas: “We’re about to hit the campaign trail...Georgia is a big state. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover...and it takes resources, especially with the price of gas now thanks to Joe Biden.”
NC-SEN: Ted Budd also started running an ad this week about gas prices: “Necessities like groceries and gas cost exponentially more because of Joe Biden's terrible economic policies. No wonder his approval ratings are below 40% - the average American isn't going to put up with this.”
OH-SEN: Tim Ryan has been running fundraising ads since Nov. 6 with climate action as a major plank: “We’re in a CRITICAL moment right now. 🚨 We can overcome the problems left by the pandemic, tackle the climate crisis, and help working families but we have to EXPAND the Senate majority to do any of that.”
PA-SEN: John Fetterman has spent at least $6k so far on a fundraising ad with climate action at the end of a long list of priorities: “ John stands firm in his beliefs — just the way he always has. He's proud to be fighting for legal weed ✅, universal health care, LGBTQIA+ protection under law 🌈, the union way of life, second chances 🙏, racial justice, ending COVID 😷, raising the minimum wage, and beating climate change.”