The House Oversight Committee is requesting that Keith McCoy appear before the committee to discuss ExxonMobil’s anti-climate lobbying tactics and funding for shadow groups.

The largest private company in the US and the family that owns it have financially supported a network of groups working to downplay the threat of climate change and kill off legislation designed to cut emissions.

"We demand Congress immediately investigate Exxon and fossil fuel companies' climate crimes, and make polluters pay for their destruction," said a 350.org campaigner.

Fossil fuel companies lied for decades about climate change, and humanity is paying the price. Shouldn’t those lies be central to the public narrative?

Baker has joined the Global Warming Policy Foundation, a group that campaigners have said perpetuates "lies and falsehoods" about climate science.

Prof Peter Dobson said Global Warming Policy Foundation members were not climate deniers 'for the most part'.

Where it’s no longer credible to deny climate change, the fossil fuel giant puts the focus on ‘risk’ and blame on consumers, in echo of tobacco industry PR, researchers find.

Companies should consider pulling adverts from the platform until it takes further steps to tackle misleading climate-related content, say campaigners — but Facebook has been quick to defend its record.

Oxford University fellow Professor Peter Edwards has been appointed to the Global Warming Policy Foundation’s board of trustees.

Peter Butlin, who is deputy leader of Warwickshire County Council, regularly shares content from climate science denial groups.