Coal: When Legally Liable, Companies Don't Dispute Global Warming"

"U.S. coal companies that are publicly skeptical of man-made climate change acknowledge in mandatory financial disclosures the widely accepted scientific link between fossil fuel emissions and a warming planet, a Greenwire analysis has found.

Sustainable investment advocates warn that such doublespeak undermines the industry's credibility with shareholders. And scientific integrity experts are critical of the coal companies' climate communication strategy, which they argue is detrimental to the long-term health and security of the American people.

The highest profile practitioner of targeted climate messaging is Peabody Energy Corp., the world's largest private-sector coal company. Peabody produced more than 180 million short tons of coal -- or nearly 19 percent of national output -- in 2013, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data."

Corbin Hiar and Manuel Quiñones report for Greenwire March 19, 2015.