Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Arthur Lee: Disclosure of Unavoidable Conflict(s) of Interest

The conflict of interest policy of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (http://www.nationalacademies.org/coi) prohibits the appointment of an individual to a committee authoring a Consensus Study Report if the individual has a conflict of interest that is relevant to the task to be performed. An exception to this prohibition is permitted if the National Academies determine that the conflict is unavoidable and the conflict is publicly disclosed. A determination of a conflict of interest for an individual is not an assessment of that individual’s actual behavior or character or ability to act objectively despite the conflicting interest.

Arthur Lee has a conflict of interest in relation to his service on the Committee on Anthropogenic Greenhouse Gases and the U.S. Climate: Evidence and Impacts because he holds stock in Chevron Corporation and has received reimbursement for travel expenses from Chevron incurred while mentoring employees in his capacity as Chevron Fellow Emeritus.

The National Academies have concluded that for this committee to accomplish the tasks for which it was established, its membership must include someone who has recent experience within the oil and gas sector, particularly in developing corporate internal energy policy on air pollution issues. As described in his biographical summary, Lee has extensive experience as working at the intersection of climate change and energy production, with expertise in oil and gas infrastructure and evaluating the contributions of the oil and gas industry to climate change and strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The National Academies have determined that the experience and expertise of Lee is needed for the committee to accomplish the task for which it has been established. The National Academies could not find another available individual with the equivalent experience and expertise who does not have a conflict of interest. Therefore, the National Academies have concluded that the conflict is unavoidable.

The National Academies believe that Lee can serve effectively as a member of the committee, and the committee can produce an objective report, taking into account the composition of the committee, the work to be performed, and the procedures to be followed in completing the study.


John Wall: Disclosure of Unavoidable Conflict(s) of Interest

The conflict of interest policy of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (http://www.nationalacademies.org/coi) prohibits the appointment of an individual to a committee authoring a Consensus Study Report if the individual has a conflict of interest that is relevant to the task to be performed. An exception to this prohibition is permitted if the National Academies determine that the conflict is unavoidable and the conflict is publicly disclosed. A determination of a conflict of interest for an individual is not an assessment of that individual’s actual behavior or character or ability to act objectively despite the conflicting interest.

Wall has a conflict of interest in relation to his service on the Committee on Anthropogenic Greenhouse Gases and the U.S. Climate: Evidence and Impacts because he owns stock in Cummins, Shell, and Chevron.

The National Academies have concluded that for this committee to accomplish the tasks for which it was established, its membership must include someone who has experience with the automotive industry focusing on developing emissions policy with the objective of delivering products meeting both commercial and environmental expectations. As described in his biographical summary, Wall has extensive experience working at the intersection of climate change and the automotive industry, with expertise in low-emission internal combustion engines and fuels and the environmental impacts of these emissions sources.

The National Academies have determined that the experience and expertise of Wall is needed for the committee to accomplish the task for which it has been established. The National Academies could not find another available individual with the equivalent experience and expertise who does not have a conflict of interest. Therefore, the National Academies have concluded that the conflict is unavoidable.

The National Academies believe that Wall can serve effectively as a member of the committee, and the committee can produce an objective report, taking into account the composition of the committee, the work to be performed, and the procedures to be followed in completing the study.