--- title: Rex Tillerson: Donald Trump's Secretary of State and Climate description: President-elect Donald Trump's decision to nominate Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State drew an immediate rebuke from environmental groups canonical: https://time.com/4598499/rex-tillerson-donald-trump-exxon-mobil-climate-change/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-12-14T15:25:48.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:54:51.689Z article:section: Science og:title: What Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State Would Mean for Climate Change og:description: Environmental groups are condemning Donald Trump's choice og:url: https://time.com/4598499/rex-tillerson-donald-trump-exxon-mobil-climate-change/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt19427a1991066f11/6988b2dd86f68e7f586e2ef2/rex-tillerson-secretary-of-state.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4000 og:image:height: 2250 og:image:alt: rex tillerson secretary of state og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State Would Mean for Climate Change twitter:description: Environmental groups are condemning Donald Trump's choice twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt19427a1991066f11/6988b2dd86f68e7f586e2ef2/rex-tillerson-secretary-of-state.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # What Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State Would Mean for Climate Change > Sponsored content. 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Future Proof is TIME's weekly climate and energy newsletter, written by senior correspondent Justin Worland. It connects the energy transition to the decisions reshaping business, technology, policy and markets. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: A Trump Presidency and the Future of Climate Change [Watch (HLS stream): A Trump Presidency and the Future of Climate Change](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/U3bhooK6.m3u8) (2:27)  _Published 2016-11-15. Donald Trump has repeatedly indicated that environmentalism is not his priority. Now, Climate scientists, policymakers and diplomats are questioning how his presidency will shape the future of climate change policy._  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Dec 14, 2016 3:25 PM UTC  Rex Tillerson, chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil Corp., speaks during the Oil and Money 2015 conference in London on Oct. 7, 2015. Rex Tillerson, chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil Corp., speaks during the Oil and Money 2015 conference in London on Oct. 7, 2015. Chris Ratcliffe—Bloomberg via Getty Images  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Dec 14, 2016 3:25 PM UTC President-elect [Donald Trump](http://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2016-donald-trump-choice/?xid=homepage&pcd=hp-magmod)‘s decision to [nominate](http://time.com/4598891/donald-trump-rex-tillerson-state-department/?xid=homepage) ExxonMobil CEO [Rex Tillerson](http://time.com/4599771/russia-donald-trump-secretary-of-state/?xid=homepage) as Secretary of State drew an immediate rebuke Tuesday from environmental groups and policy makers insistent that an oil executive as the country’s chief diplomat would undermine global action to address climate change. Tillerson, who first joined Exxon in 1975 upon graduating from college, accepts the scientific consensus that man-made climate change is occurring, but also has a vested financial interest in avoiding strong action to address global warming. The company he runs remains under [investigation](http://time.com/4101957/new-york-exxon-mobil-investigation/?iid=sr-link2) for [misleading investors](http://graphics.latimes.com/exxon-research/) on the risks of climate change for decades to avoid harming its business. “If the only voice that acknowledges that climate change is even real comes from a secretary of state who was CEO of one of the largest oil companies in the world, then that speaks volumes about where this administration is headed,” said Jeremy Symons, who works on climate politics for the Environmental Defense Fund. **Read More:** [It’s Hard to Describe Just How Badly the Arctic Is Doing](http://time.com/4600091/arctic-climate-change/?iid=sr-link6) A wide range of institutions within the U.S. government have some say in the country’s climate policy, including every agency from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the Department of Justice. But on the international stage, the Secretary of State reigns supreme as the face the U.S. government’s efforts to address the issue. Environmental groups said Tillerson would send the message that the country does not take climate change seriously—and perhaps under Trump it will not. On the climate front, Tillerson could not be more different from his would-be predecessor John Kerry. The current Secretary of State initially [devoted himself](http://time.com/4282249/john-kerry-climate-change-speech/?iid=sr-link1) to working on climate change during his time as a U.S. senator when the issue first rose to the national stage in the early 1990s. In recent years, Kerry has played a key role as a dealmaker helping broker the [Paris agreement on climate change](http://time.com/4146764/paris-agreement-climate-cop-21/), along with other international [climate treaties](http://time.com/4421908/climate-change-hfcs-air-conditioning/?iid=sr-link3). Tillerson has voiced [support](http://corporate.exxonmobil.com/en/current-issues/climate-policy/climate-perspectives/statement-on-paris-climate-agreement-entering-into-force) for the Paris agreement, unlike many of the other Trump cabinet nominees, and even came out in support of a carbon tax in 2009\. But many critics dismiss those policy positions only as politically expedient decisions made to defray criticism of the company in the face of what once seemed like inevitable regulation. Indeed, ExxonMobil has [not made a carbon tax a focus](https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18122015/exxon-mobil-carbon-tax-rhetoric-or-reality-climate-change-rex-tillerson) of its massive lobbying efforts and has supported a number of candidates and organizations that oppose measures to tackle the issue. And, [unlike several of its chief competitors](http://www.climatechangenews.com/2015/10/14/bp-shell-rio-tinto-offer-support-to-paris-climate-deal/) including BP and Shell, ExxonMobil’s support came nearly a year after the conclusion of the Paris talks. **Read More:** [Donald Trump’s Victory Could Mean Disaster for the Planet](http://time.com/4564224/donald-trump-climate-change/?iid=sr-link4) International talks about the [future of the Arctic](http://time.com/4600091/arctic-climate-change/?iid=sr-link6) would also fall to Tillerson should he be confirmed by the Senate. In that position, he would be responsible for working with other countries to protect the region. As CEO of ExxonMobil, Tillerson [pushed](http://www.wsj.com/articles/exxon-mobil-bp-suspend-canadian-arctic-exploratory-drilling-program-in-beaufort-sea-1435348381) to open the Arctic to oil drilling. Beyond specific regulatory measures, Tillerson has questioned the severity of climate change to argue that the world should not move too fast on the issue. “What if everything we do, it turns out our models are lousy, and we don’t get the effects we predict?” Tillerson said at a [shareholders meeting](http://www.dallasnews.com/business/energy/2015/05/27/exxon-ceo-let-s-wait-for-science-to-improve-before-solving-problem-of-climate-change) last year. “Mankind has this enormous capacity to deal with adversity, and those solutions will present themselves as those challenges become clear.” Tillerson is just one of a slew of Trump nominees with close ties to the oil and gas industry. Trump’s [choice to lead the EPA](http://time.com/4594238/donald-trump-scott-pruitt-epa/?iid=sr-link1)—Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt—is a self-professed foe of the agency’s climate change agenda and has sued on multiple occasions to block implementation of policies like the Clean Power Plan. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Trump’s [Department of Energy nominee](http://time.com/4598910/rick-perry-department-energy-oops-gaffe/?iid=sr-link1), has [called](http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/17/nation/la-na-0818-perry-global-warming-20110818) climate change a “scientific theory that hasn’t been proven” and opposed funding to address it. “Rex Tillerson’s career is the embodiment of the American dream. Through hard work, dedication and smart deal making, Rex rose through the ranks to become CEO of ExxonMobil, one of the world’s largest and most respected companies,” Trump said in a statement this week. “His tenacity, broad experience and deep understanding of geopolitics make him an excellent choice for Secretary of State. He will promote regional stability and focus on the core national security interests of the United States.” Climate policy aside, Tillerson faces perhaps the most challenging Senate confirmation battle because of his [close ties to Russia](http://time.com/4599771/russia-donald-trump-secretary-of-state/?iid=sr-link1) and the country’s president Vladimir Putin. Tillerson negotiated several large deals with Putin as ExxonMobil’s CEO and received an Order of Friendship from the Russian leader. Several prominent Republican senators, including John McCain of Arizona and Marco Rubio of Florida, have said they have [serious concerns](http://insider.foxnews.com/2016/12/12/mccain-concerned-about-rex-tillersons-friendship-butcher-putin). Only three GOP senators would need to defect, along with a united Democratic caucus, to block confirmation. But should that occur, it remains unclear whether an alternative candidate would appeal more to climate policy experts.”Tillerson can be better than the alternatives, but that is damning with faint praise,” said Robert Stavins, director of the Environmental Economics Program at Harvard University, noting that Tillerson would have to win over the like likes of Perry, Pruitt and others to be effective. “That is a tall order.” ## Transcript [ BLANK_AUDIO ] Donald Trump has called climate change a hoax. It'll get cooler, it'll get warmer. It's called weather. Now that he's President- elect, here's what at stake for the future of the environment. Thank you. Paris Agreement which was negotiated last year and came into effect just a few weeks ago was a monumental step for addressing climate change. And setting a path forward for the coming decades to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Donald Trump has promised to cancel the Paris agreement, or at the very least, renegotiate it. Stop all payments of the United States tax dollars to UN Global Warming Programs. He does not have the authority to cancel it. It's an agreement with more than 190 countries. He also doesn't have the power to withdraw from it. Immediately at least, it would take at least three years to go through those processes. He does have the power to ignore it. It's unlikely that other countries will feel comfortable making big reductions in their greenhouse gas emissions, if the United States is not taking the lead. Another policy at stake is Obama's clean power plan. [ APPLAUSE ] Single most important step America has ever taken in the fight against global Climate change. Trump has said that he would cancel it. Environmental Protection, what they do is a disgrace. Every week they come out with new regulations. He has the authority to do that. He could direct the EPA to eliminate the clean power plan. We'll be fine with the environment. We can leave a little bit, but you can't destroy businesses He will definitely if he does face litigation from environmental groups that will argue that it's the EPA's role to do that. It's a long winding process. And certainly not something that he's going to be able to accomplish in his first 100 days. Environmentalists are trying to remain Optimistic and looking at a lot of the market trends that have resulted in the reduction in coal power and other greenhouse gas emissions. A lot of it is outside of the realm of regulation. But also trying to stay optimistic about the Paris agreement. Some of them say even if Donald Trump Withdraws, they are confident that other countries will step up to the plate. I'm 16 years old from Mwanza, Tanzania. Looking forward, there's a lot of things that Trump can do to slow progress on climate change, but many of the trends he doesn't have control over. So there is reason for optimism if you're looking in the long- term. 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