IPCC: We can tackle climate change if big oil gets out of the way

Experts say criticism of oil and gas's climate-blocking activities' cut from final draft, reflective of industry's power and influence

The fossil fuel industry and its influence over policy was the major elephant in the room looming over the release of the third and final report, out this week, from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world's leading climate authority. The major source of contention: how do you talk about mitigating climate change without confronting the fossil fuel industry? It's like Star Wars without Darth Vader," says environmental sociologist Robert Brulle, of Brown University.

The first two reports, both released over the last year, highlighted the physical science on climate effects and countries' vulnerability to further warming. But this third report deals more with the potential solutions, which have been a focal point of controversy in recent years for both the fossil fuel industry and the governments of oil-rich nations.

This story is published as part of Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration of news outlets strengthening coverage of the climate story