ExxonMobil Australia
OVERALL |
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Owned |
USA |
Rating |
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Petroleum and petrochemicals
Operations in Australia include oil and gas production in the Bass Strait, gas projects in Victoria and WA, coal seam gas exploration, an oil refinery in Melbourne, and a major distribution network.
Company Ownership
| ExxonMobil Australia Pty Ltd | AUS | website | ||||
Exxon Mobil Corporation 
owns 100% of ExxonMobil Australia Pty Ltd |
USA | website | ||||
Oil & gas The world's largest integrated oil company. Global operations include oil and gas exploration, production, supply, transportation, and marketing worldwide. | ||||||
Company Assessment
| PRAISE | CRITICISM | INFORMATION | ||
| ExxonMobil Australia Pty Ltd | ||||
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Between 2013 and 2019 this company paid $5.7 million tax on a total income of $55.7 billion, earning the number 1 spot on Michael West's Top 40 Tax Dodgers 2021. West calculated which of Australia's largest companies have paid the least tax, or no tax, on the highest incomes using six years of tax transparency data published by the Australian Tax Office.
Source: Michael West (2021) |
This company has a number of environmental claims on its website in the areas of water conservation, oil spill prevention, emissions reductions and environmental responsibility.
Source: Company website (2014)
According to data released by the Australian Tax Office in Jan 2022, this company was one of many local and foreign-based companies that paid no tax in Australia in 2019-20. Please note however that companies pay income tax on profits, not revenue (total income). While some companies use tax havens and loopholes to avoid paying their fair share of tax in Australia, other companies that paid no tax have perfectly legitimate reasons.
Source: ATO (2022) |
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| Exxon Mobil Corporation | ||||
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This company ranked 4th on the list of 100 oil & gas companies in the 2016 Carbon Underground 200, a ranking of fossil fuel companies being targeted for divestment. Companies are ranked by the potential carbon emissions content of their proven reserves. The reserves of these companies total almost five times more than can be burned for the world to have an 80% chance of limiting global temperature rise to 2°C.
Source: Fossil Free Indexes (2016)
A litany of environmental breaches and appeals against fines is listed. Recent breaches include contamination of ground water in New York with $104m damages awarded (2009); pipeline rupture in Montana sending crude oil into the Yellowstone River (2011) with slow response making much worse, fine of $1.17m proposed for failing to properly address seasonal flooding risk (2013); over past 5 years, Baytown operation has paid more than $190,000 in Clean Air Act penalties; Exxon Chemical continues to fight efforts to put stricter controls on plasticisers containing phthalates which have been linked to reproductive and developmental hazards.
Source: Corporate Research Project (2019)
The Talking Trash 2020 report by Changing Markets investigates the corporate playbook of false solutions to the plastic crisis. It found that the industry is actively delaying and derailing ambitious action on plastic pollution in its fight to maintain business as usual for as long as possible. For example, this plastic producing company is signed up to 3 nice-sounding voluntary initiatives to address plastic waste, while also participating in 3 industry associations which lobby against legislation that could restrict plastic, or make corporations responsible for managing the waste they create, financially or otherwise.
Source: Changing Markets (2020)
This company is the world's largest producer of single-use plastic waste, according to Minderoo Foundation's 2021 Plastic Waste Makers Index. In 2019, just 20 polymer producers accounted for more than half of all single-use plastic waste generated globally, and the top 100 accounted for 90 per cent. Plastic pollution is one of the biggest, most urgent threats facing our planet and our health.
Source: Minderoo Foundation (2021)
As You Sow's 2022 report, 'Road to Zero Emissions', assessed the progress of 55 of the largest U.S. corporations in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with the Paris Agreement's objective of limiting global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, which requires achieving "net zero" emissions by 2050. Companies are graded on: climate related disclosures; GHG reduction targets, and GHG reductions. This company received an Overall Net Zero grade of F.
Source: As You Sow (2022)
As You Sow's 2019 report, Mining the Disclosures, is a deep analysis of 215 companies' human rights performance in relation to sourcing conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This company's score was 5.4% (Weak).
Source: As You Sow (2019)
As You Sow's 2019 report, 'Disclosing the Facts: Transparency and Risk in Hydraulic Fracturing Operations', benchmarks 28 companies engaged in hydraulic fracturing ('fracking') against investor needs for disclosure of operational impacts and mitigation efforts. This company only succeeded in disclosing information on 4 of the 43 indicators related to management of toxic chemicals, water and waste, air emissions, methane leakage and community impacts.
Source: As You Sow (2019)
InfluenceMap's 2021 Climate Policy Footprint report identifies the world's most obstructive corporate and industry association holding back Paris Agreement-aligned climate policy. This company is named in the report as the world's most negatively influential corporation. "Highly strategic policy engagement, promoting oil & gas in the energy mix. Dense network of industry associations opposing climate policy in the US and globally."
Source: Influence Map (2021)
This company is on OpenSecrets.org's list of "Top Spenders on Lobbying", a list of the 20 organizations that have spent the most trying to influence US government policy. This company comes in at number 19 on the list, having spent $227,939,323 on lobbying between 1998 and 2021.
Source: Open Secrets (2021)
In 2015 Exxon reached a settlement with New Jersey officials in a long-running legal battle over contamination caused by the company's facilities in the northern part of the state. The settlement amount, $225 million, was far less than the estimated $8.9 billion in damages the state had been seeking, prompting allegations that the administration of Gov. Chris Christie had let Exxon off too easily.
Source: New York Times (2015)
This company appeared on Global Exchange's list of "10 Top Corporate Criminals of 2016" for suppressing climate science and delaying action on global warming for decades.
Source: Global Exchange (2016)
The 2019 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark assessed 200 of the largest publicly traded companies in the world from the Agricultural Products, Apparel, Extractives and ICT Manufacturing sectors on 100 human rights indicators. This company's score was in the 20-30 band range. The overall average score was a disappointing 24%.
Source: World Benchmarking Alliance (2019)
In 2018 the Union of Concerned Scientists published their Climate Accountability Scorecard, which measures the progress of major fossil fuel companies to stop spreading climate disinformation and to fix their business plans to achieve dramatic reductions in global warming emissions. This company rated Egregious for disinformation, Poor for business planning, Good for policy and Fair for disclosure.
Source: Union of Concerned Scientists (2018)
This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 37/100 in the Oil & Gas - Upstream & Integrated category of the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices (last updated 18 Nov 2022). The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
Source: S&P Global (2022) |
Named one of Multinational Monitor's '10 Worst Corporations' in 2007. [noted as information due to age of report]
Source: Multinational Monitor (2007)
On 24 March 1989 Exxon's supertanker Valdez ran aground off the coast of Alaska at Prince William Sound spilling more than 11 million gallons of oil into the pristine water. Twenty five years on Exxon Mobil claims a complete recovery but government scientists have a different view. The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council, a federal-state group set up to oversee restoration of the area affected considers that some species have recovered, some are still struggling to recover, but herring (a vital species for the ecosystem), killer whales and pigeon guillemots are not recovered; there is a continued presence of relatively fresh oil; compensation payments for those who made their living in the affected area were too little and too late; legal issues remain unresolved; and the courts are dismayed that so few of the projects set up for the recovery have been completed.
Source: McClatchy DC (2014)
This company appeared fourth on RepRisk's top ten "most environmentally and socially controversial companies of 2010". Companies on the list were severely criticised during 2010 by the world's media, governments and NGOs. Criticisms of Exxon include controversial operations in Nigeria and Kazakhstan, pollution in Guam and Saipan, and human rights abuses in Indonesia and Chad. [Listed under Information due to age of report]
Source: RepRisk (2010)
This company is listed on the Federal Contractor Misconduct Database as having 59 instances of misconduct since 1995 amounting to almost US$2,383 million in penalties. Instances include underpayment of royalties, price fixing, safety violations, contamination, and pollution.
Source: Project on Government Oversight (POGO) (2013)
This company received a score of 44/100 in the Newsweek Green Ranking 2017, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on eight indicators covering energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, fines and penalties, linking executive pay to sustainability targets, board-level committee oversight of environmental issues and third-party audits. Ranking methodology by Corporate Knights and HIP Investor.
Source: Newsweek (2017)
As You Sow's 2019 report, 'The 100 Most Overpaid CEOs', reveals the 100 most overpaid CEOs from USA's 500 largest public companies (as determined by the S&P 500 list). This company's CEO, Darren Woods came in at number 52 on the list, having been paid US$17,466,133 in 2018. According to the report, "Most CEOs have come to be grossly overpaid, and that overpayment is harmful to the companies, the shareholders, the customers, the other employees, the economy, and society as a whole."
Source: As You Sow (2019)
In 2019 the median pay for a worker at this company was US$173,712. The CEO was paid 135 times this amount. Exorbitant CEO pay is a major contributor to rising inequality. CEOs are getting more because of their power to set pay, not because they are increasing productivity or possess specific, high-demand skills. The economy would suffer no harm if CEOs were paid less (or taxed more). In contrast, the CEO-to-typical-worker compensation ratio was 20-to-1 in 1965 and 58-to-1 in 1989.
Source: AFL-CIO (2020)
This company is a member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste which aims to eliminate plastic waste in the environment.
Source: Alliance to End Plastic Waste (2019)
This company is a member of The Sustainability Consortium, an organization of diverse global participants that work collaboratively to build a scientific foundation that drives innovation to improve consumer product sustainability. They develop transparent methodologies, tools, and strategies to drive a new generation of products and supply networks that address environmental, social, and economic imperatives.
Source: Sustainability Consortium (2019)
This company is a member of the Green Chemistry and Commerce Council (GC3), a business-to-business forum that advances the application of green chemistry and design for environment across supply chains. It provides an open forum for cross-sectoral collaboration to share information and experiences about the challenges to and opportunities for safer chemicals and products.
Source: GC3 (2019)
This company is a member of How2Recycle. The How2Recycle Label is a voluntary, standardized labeling system that clearly communicates recycling instructions to the public. It involves a coalition of forward thinking brands who want their packaging to be recycled and are empowering consumers through smart packaging labels. Companies must be a member of the program to use the How2Recycle Label.
Source: How2Recycle (2023)
According to Greenpeace's exxonsecrets.org website, ExxonMobil has spent over US$23 million since 1998 funding climate change skeptics.
Source: Greenpeace (2012)
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre digital platform presents news and allegations relating to the human rights impact of over 20,000 companies. Their enhanced Company Dashboards also include financial information, key data points based on corporate policies, and scores from prominent civil society benchmarks. Follow the link and use the search function to view this company's dashboard.
Source: BHRRC (2022)
Steve Coll's 2012 book, "Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power" discusses how since it was formed in 1999, Exxon Mobil has grown into one of the world's most hated companies, able to determine American foreign policy and the fate of entire nations. They drill in emergent nation states, frequently leading to poverty and corruption.
Source: The Telegraph (2012)
OpenSecrets.org tracks the influence of money on U.S. politics, and how that money affects policy and citizens' lives. Follow link to see this company's record of political donations, lobbying, outside spending and more.
Source: Open Secrets (2020)
JUST Capital polls Americans every year to identify the issues that matter most in defining just business behaviour. For their 2023 rankings JUST Capital asked a representative sample of 3,002 Americans to compare 20 different business Issues on a head-to-head basis, producing a reliable hierarchy of Issues ranked in order of priority. Issues are organised under the headings Workers, Customers, Communities, the Environment, or Shareholders & Governance. JUST Capital then define metrics that map to those issues and track and analyse the largest, publicly traded U.S. companies. This analysis powers their rankings, in which this company ranked 270th of 951 companies, and 10th of 25 Oil & Gas companies.
Source: JUST Capital (2023)
BankTrack is a global network of civil society organisations and individuals tracking the operations of the banking sector and the activities they finance. Banktrack aims to promote fundamental changes in the banking sector so that banks adopt just and sustainable business practices. BankTrack also has profiles on companies, such as this one, which have been the subject of civil society campaigns for damaging the environment or society. Follow the link to see this company's profile.
Source: BankTrack (2018)
The Corporate Research Project's Corporate Rap Sheets are dossiers summarising the most significant crimes, violations and other questionable activities of the world's largest and most controversial companies. Follow link to see this company's Corporate Rap Sheet. "Environmental groups have targeted the company for supporting climate change denial. The 1999 acquisition of Mobil by Exxon brought together two of the former portions of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Trust that each had racked up a long string of environmental violations and other controversies."
Source: Corporate Research Project (2018) |
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Company Details
| Type | Wholly-owned subsidiary |
| Revenue | 8.8 billion AUD (2012) |
| Employees | 1831 (2012) |
| Aus Manufacturing | Yes |
| Subsidiaries | Mobil Oil Australia Pty Ltd
Petroleum products Exclusive supplier of fuel products to 7-Eleven Stores Pty Ltd, who bought Mobil's entire Australian network of 295 filling stations in 2010. |
Contact Details
| Address | 12 Riverside Quay, Southbank, VIC, 3006, Australia |
| Website | www.exxonmobil.com.au |