If every country gets serious about curbing climate change, how much money will the oil companies lose?

Question

Does anyone have any good figures on this issue?

Obviously some of the oil companies are quite concerned about debunking the idea of global climate -- Exxon Mobil alone has spent millions on the effort.

But just how much oil company investment and/or profit is potentially at stake? First, say, in the US - but then, around the world?

Answer 1

Well I will put it like this, Exxon has spent maybe tops 3 million over the last 30 years on skeptics while they have spent a hundred times that on promoting it behind the scenes.  

Answer 2

There is a big difference on how much they have to lose and how much profit they wouldn't otherwise make.  I suspect that AGW has been a boon to oil.  It has caused political morons to stop searching for it and recovering it and thus pushing the prices to record levels.  

Answer 3

Most humans wont be able to afford oil and fuel because the world will tax everyone so heavily to FIX planet earth, that we will all die of starvation. The last person alive will realize it was all bovine scatology as he sighs his last breath.

Answer 4

If they receive more state and federal funds to "research" cleaner energy alternatives, then they won't lose any, they'll gain more money.

Answer 5

I think it's almost impossible to get a figure on something like this, especially since there is no specification of how much demand for oil would be reduced by, what taxes might be added, etc.  CO2 emissions could be reduced through additional "scrubber" technologies, and other methods that allow for the same amount of oil use with less waste output.  

Also, many "oil companies" are not just oil companies, and have diversified into other areas.  Diversified oil companies will stand to profit from a transition into alternative forms of energy, and from the government subsidies that attempt to encourage such a transition.

Answer 6

The biggest problem will be on the economy as a whole not just oil. Tens of millions of jobs will be lost worldwide, taxes will be higher and times will just get harder. Plus it would be useless.