How Saudi oil scientists ended up working on the world’s most important climate reports
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EN: The present perfect tense ('has uncovered') is paired with a noun clause introduced by 'that' acting as the direct object of the verb. In news journalism, this structure reports fresh investigative findings whose implications remain relevant to the present situation.
A recent audit has revealed that several senior officials misused public funds.
EN: The present participle phrase 'contributing to the United Nations climate panel' functions as a post-modifying reduced relative clause (short for 'who are contributing to...'), qualifying 'lead authors'.
Researchers working on renewable energy technologies received substantial federal grants.
EN: The collocation 'maintain ties to [entity]' denotes having ongoing formal or informal relationships, often carrying an evaluative connotation in investigative reporting regarding conflicts of interest.
The committee questioned whether the board members still maintained ties to the lobbying firm.
EN: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), referred to colloquially here as the 'United Nations climate panel', is the premier international body assessing climate change. It does not conduct its own research but relies heavily on hundreds of unpaid volunteer scientists who serve as 'lead authors'. Because these reports shape global treaties and national decarbonization laws, any industry affiliation (especially with major oil and gas producers) triggers intense scrutiny over conflicts of interest.
EN: The phrase 'widely regarded as the most authoritative body on climate science' is a past participial phrase functioning as a non-restrictive appositive modifier. It provides supplementary background information about the subject without interrupting the main grammatical flow (Subject + [modifier] + Verb).
The World Health Organization, established in 1948, plays a critical role in global public health governance.
EN: The relative pronoun 'that' introduces a restrictive relative clause modifying 'assessment reports'. Inside the clause, two verbs ('underpin' and 'shape') are linked by the coordinating conjunction 'and', sharing the same subject and demonstrating parallel structure.
The research team published findings that challenge conventional wisdom and open new avenues for inquiry.
EN: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Its reports do not conduct original research; instead, thousands of voluntary international scientists assess all available scientific literature to establish global consensus. Because its summaries for policymakers must be approved line-by-line by government representatives, its language carries immense diplomatic and legal weight in treaties like the Paris Agreement.
EN: The sentence features a nominal subject clause introduced by 'that', where the subject head noun is 'involvement'. This noun is post-modified by a complex prepositional phrase containing reduced relative clauses: 'employed by or linked to oil corporations' (equivalent to 'who are employed by or linked to...'). Notice that the verb 'raises' agrees in number with the singular head noun 'involvement', not the plural nouns 'individuals' or 'corporations'.
The participation of scholars funded by foreign agencies raises concerns among committee members.
EN: The construction 'employed by or linked to [noun]' is an example of parallel prepositions/participles sharing a single complement. Both past participles 'employed' and 'linked' govern different prepositions ('by' and 'to', respectively), which are coordinated by 'or' before sharing the direct object 'oil corporations'.
Products manufactured in or exported to North America must meet stringent safety criteria.
EN: The collocation 'raise questions about...' is a formal journalistic and academic formula used to express skepticism or invite critical scrutiny without making direct defamatory accusations. It frequently collocates with evaluative adjectives like 'serious', 'grave', or 'fundamental'.
The sudden resignation of the chief auditor raises serious questions about financial transparency.
EN: In global environmental politics, 'conflict of interest' is particularly sensitive because bodies like the IPCC are expected to provide neutral, policy-relevant scientific advice. When fossil fuel industry ties are uncovered, critics often invoke 'institutional credibility' to warn that public trust in global scientific consensus could be damaged.
EN: The phrasal verb 'centre on' (or 'centre around') means to have something as its main topic or focus. Note the British spelling 'centres' (American: 'centers'). It takes a prepositional object (here, 'figures').
The debate centres on the economic viability of renewable energy transition.
EN: Apposition and non-defining relative clauses: 'a scientist' acts as an appositive noun phrase providing extra identification for 'Mustafa Babiker'. It is subsequently modified by a non-defining relative clause introduced by 'who' ('who has worked...'), offering essential background without disrupting the main clause flow.
The report criticizes Dr. Evans, an epidemiologist who has advised the government for a decade.
EN: The present perfect tense ('has worked') paired with 'for + duration' ('for two decades') indicates an action that started in the past and continues up to the present moment, emphasizing ongoing duration.
She has worked for the institution for fifteen years and knows its policies intimately.
EN: British vs. American spelling: The UK publication 'The Guardian' uses British spelling conventions, seen here in 'centres' rather than the American 'centers'. In the context of global climate negotiations, Saudi Aramco is scrutinized heavily by non-governmental watchdogs due to its status as the world's top corporate emitter of greenhouse gases.
EN: Non-restrictive appositive: 'Saudi Arabia's state oil company' is set off by commas and provides parenthetical, explanatory identification for the proper noun 'Aramco' without restricting its referent.
Gazprom, Russia's state-owned energy giant, supplies natural gas to numerous countries.
EN: Adjective phrase with comparative quantification: 'responsible for more [noun] than any other [singular noun]' is a high-level construction used to denote a superlative meaning ('the most') while emphasizing comparative hierarchy against every single peer entity individually.
This facility is responsible for more toxic waste than any other factory in the province.
EN: Saudi Aramco is the world's largest oil-producing company by market capitalization and production. Climate research (notably the Carbon Majors Report by the Climate Accountability Institute) has consistently identified Aramco as the single largest corporate contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions since the industrial era, making its scientists' involvement in UN climate panels a focal point for global conflict-of-interest debates.
EN: The preposition 'as' is used here to denote role, capacity, or status ('in the role of'). When followed by a noun denoting a post or title, it specifies the capacity in which someone is appointed, hired, or acts.
Her appointment as chief executive officer was welcomed by investors.
EN: The transitive verb 'spark' literally means to ignite, but in formal journalistic and academic registers, it functions as a vivid causative verb meaning 'to cause something (especially anger, controversy, or debate) to begin suddenly'.
The government's proposed tax reform sparked widespread protests across the country.
EN: Complex nominalization as subject: 'Babiker's appointment as [role] for [target]' turns a full clause ('Babiker was appointed...') into a dense noun phrase that serves as the sentence subject, a hallmark of formal and journalistic C1 English.
The committee's refusal to endorse the treaty triggered a diplomatic standoff.
EN: In IPCC reporting procedures, a 'Coordinating Lead Author' (CLA) holds substantial editorial authority over chapters, steering synthesis and resolving scientific disputes. The appointment of an active employee from a state-owned fossil fuel giant (Saudi Aramco) to this critical position triggered acute ethical concerns over conflicts of interest and corporate influence on UN climate diplomacy.
EN: The inverted conditional structure 'Were it not for...' is a formal, literary equivalent of 'If it were not for...'. It functions as a counterfactual condition (often mixed or conditional type 2/3), meaning 'without' or 'if [something] did not exist/had not occurred'. Notice that 'if' is omitted and the auxiliary/copular verb 'were' is inverted with the subject 'it'.
Were it not for his timely intervention, the project would have collapsed entirely.
EN: The modal construction 'might have + past participle' expresses past possibility or an unrealized counterfactual outcome ('would possibly have happened under different circumstances'). Here, 'might have remained' indicates a speculative scenario that was avoided because the investigation did take place.
Without proper documentation, the truth might have remained hidden forever.
EN: The linking verb 'remain' followed by an adjective or participle predicate ('remained largely unknown') conveys persistence in a state. 'Largely' is an adverb of degree modifying 'unknown', meaning 'for the most part' or 'predominantly'.
The underlying causes of the economic downturn remained poorly understood for decades.
EN: The British newspaper 'The Guardian' is internationally acclaimed for its investigative journalism, particularly regarding environmental governance, climate policy, and fossil fuel lobbying. Investigative exposés by leading news organizations often act as vital public watchdogs, bringing to light conflicts of interest that institutional vetting mechanisms fail to resolve.
EN: Non-restrictive appositives: The noun phrase 'a climate scientist from the University of Lausanne' is set off by commas and serves as an appositive to 'Professor Julia Steinberger'. It provides parenthetical, descriptive context without restricting or defining the identity of the person.
Dr. Marcus Vance, a leading researcher at Oxford University, presented his findings at the symposium.
EN: Prepositional collocation with 'encounter': The noun 'encounter' frequently collocates with the preposition 'with' to specify the participant ('first encounter with Babiker').
Her initial encounter with the board members went smoother than expected.
EN: In academic and formal journalistic reporting, introducing a scholar with both their title ('Professor') and an appositive clause specifying their field ('a climate scientist') and institutional affiliation ('from the University of Lausanne') serves to establish professional authority and credibility early in the narrative.
EN: The prepositional construction 'Upon + gerund (-ing)' functions as a concise, formal adverbial of time meaning 'as soon as' or 'immediately after'. It indicates that the action in the main clause happened directly following the action of the gerund.
Upon arriving at the headquarters, the inspectors demanded to see the internal financial records.
EN: 'Questioned whether...' introduces an indirect yes/no question using the subordinate conjunction 'whether'. In formal reporting styles, 'whether' is generally preferred over 'if', especially when expressing doubt, scrutiny, or institutional deliberation.
The committee questioned whether the newly proposed policy adhered to international environmental standards.
EN: The formal transitive verb 'constitute' means 'to be considered as' or 'to amount to' in legal and institutional contexts, followed directly by a noun phrase complement (e.g., 'constituted a conflict of interest').
Accepting gifts of substantial value may constitute a serious violation of ethics rules.
EN: In academic, scientific, and international policymaking institutions, 'conflict of interest' (COI) policies are vital for preserving public trust. When authors or researchers receive funding or employment from industries directly affected by the research (such as oil companies and climate science), it raises ethical scrutiny even if the individual claims neutrality.
EN: The noun phrase 'a reply Steinberger found inadequate' acts as a summative appositive (or sentential appositive), summarizing and commenting on the preceding clause ('that he had disclosed his affiliation on the official form'). It contains a reduced relative clause where the relative pronoun 'which' or 'that' is omitted: 'a reply [that/which] Steinberger found inadequate'.
The company promised a minor payout, a gesture the striking workers rejected outright.
EN: The structure 'find + object + object complement (adjective)' ('found inadequate') expresses a subjective evaluation or judgment, meaning 'to consider/judge something to have a particular quality'.
The committee examined the evidence and found the initial explanation unsatisfactory.
EN: The adverb 'reportedly' is a journalistic evidential marker signaling hearsay or second-hand information, meaning 'according to what has been said or reported'. It allows the writer to maintain objectivity and avoid asserting unverified statements as absolute fact.
The executive reportedly tendered his resignation following allegations of financial misconduct.
EN: In international scientific governance—particularly within high-stakes bodies like the IPCC—conflict of interest (COI) disclosures often fall into a contentious grey zone. Bureaucratic compliance (checking a box or listing an employer on an official form) is frequently seen by institutions as sufficient legal disclosure. However, independent researchers and ethicists increasingly argue that mere disclosure does not neutralize the structural bias of working for fossil fuel interests, highlighting a growing tension between procedural compliance and genuine scientific neutrality.
EN: The adverb 'since' is positioned between the auxiliary 'has' and the past participle 'emphasized' to denote an ongoing or repeated stance maintained from a specific past reference point up to the present. This mid-position placement is standard for temporal adverbs in formal register.
The committee has since revised its conflict-of-interest guidelines to prevent further scrutiny.
EN: The gerund phrase 'merely declaring a relationship' functions as the singular subject of the subordinate noun clause introduced by 'that'. Because a gerund clause acts as a singular conceptual unit, it takes the singular verb 'does not eliminate'.
Simply acknowledging the bias does not resolve the ethical breach.
EN: The present participle 'underlying' functions as an attributive adjective meaning 'fundamental', 'implicit', or 'forming the foundation of something'. It is frequently paired with abstract nouns like 'problem', 'cause', 'issue', or 'assumption' in academic and analytical writing.
Treating the symptom will not cure the underlying infection.
EN: In institutional ethics and corporate governance, there is an ongoing debate regarding 'disclosure' versus 'recusal'. Many organizations operate on a compliance-based model where declaring an affiliation or conflict of interest is treated as sufficient. However, governance critics argue that mere transparency does not mitigate bias or institutional capture, as an author or decision-maker still retains influence over outcomes.
EN: Negative Inversion: When negative or restrictive adverbial phrases such as 'Not only' introduce a clause at the beginning of a sentence, subject-auxiliary inversion is mandatory. An auxiliary verb ('does', 'did', 'is', 'can', etc.) precedes the subject ('does this practice undermine...'). The correlative second clause typically uses standard word order ('but it also...').
Not only did she complete the report ahead of schedule, but she also identified several critical errors.
EN: Idiomatic Expression: 'Call into question' means to cause doubts or cast suspicion on the validity, truth, or reliability of something. It is a formal, highly common collocation in academic, legal, and journalistic registers.
The latest findings call into question the accuracy of the previous climate model.
EN: In institutional policy and scientific journalism, phrases like 'call into question the integrity' carry serious weight. Rather than directly accusing parties of corruption, high-level bodies and serious media outlets rely on measured, legally defensible language that highlights systemic vulnerability and credibility loss rather than personal criminality.
EN: The past participle phrase 'consulted by the investigative team' functions as a post-nominal modifier (reduced relative clause) modifying 'Several independent experts'. It is equivalent to 'who were consulted by the investigative team'.
The recommendations proposed by the committee were swiftly approved.
EN: The verb 'declare' can take a complex transitive pattern: 'declare + object + to be + complement' (or 'declare + object + complement'), used in formal registers to express an authoritative or decisive judgment.
The auditors declared the company's financial records to be completely unreliable.
EN: The idiomatic prepositional phrase 'unfit for purpose' is a formal British English legal and administrative idiom meaning fundamentally incapable of fulfilling its designated role or standard.
Critics argued that the outdated regulatory framework was wholly unfit for purpose in the digital age.
EN: The phrase 'unfit for purpose' originated in British commercial law (Sale of Goods Act) regarding products that fail to meet their intended function. Over recent decades, it has become a prevalent political and institutional catchphrase in the UK and international governance to describe failing policies, public services, or institutional bodies as fundamentally broken.
EN: The prepositional phrase 'without + noun phrase' often functions as a conditional shorthand for 'if there were no...' or 'if they do not have...'. When paired with a modal like 'could' or 'would', it forms an implied/suppressed conditional clause (hypothetical condition) without needing a full 'if'-clause.
Without immediate financial intervention, the startup could face bankruptcy before the end of the quarter.
EN: The modal passive construction 'could be + past participle' expresses tentative prediction, potentiality, or polite warning regarding future consequences, rather than certainty (which would use 'will be'). The degree adverb 'severely' precedes the participle to intensify the verb's impact.
The regional ecosystem could be irreversibly damaged if industrial waste continues to leak.
EN: In academic and international policy discourse (such as United Nations bodies like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), the word 'compromised' rarely means 'reaching a mutual agreement.' Instead, it predominantly denotes being weakened, discredited, or placed in jeopardy due to conflicts of interest or ethical breaches.
EN: Inverted conditional with 'Should': In formal or literary registers, conditional clauses with 'if' can omit 'if' by inverting the auxiliary verb 'should' with the subject ('Should + Subject + Base Verb...'). This is equivalent to 'If the panel should fail to...' or 'If the panel fails to...', implying a hypothetical or formal cautionary tone.
Should negotiations break down, both nations face severe economic fallout.
EN: The verb 'risk' followed by a gerund: 'Risk' directly takes a gerund (-ing form) when indicating an action that may lead to danger, harm, or adverse consequences ('risk + doing something'). It cannot be followed by an infinitive with 'to'.
By expanding too quickly, the startup risks losing its core customer base.
EN: Relative clause with 'serve as': The relative pronoun 'that' introduces a restrictive relative clause modifying 'scientific consensus'. Within the clause, 'serve as' functions idiomatically to mean 'to act as' or 'to fulfill a particular role or function'.
The landmark treaty that served as the foundation for modern peace was signed decades ago.
EN: In global climate diplomacy, 'scientific consensus' refers primarily to the conclusions established by the IPCC reports. Because these reports represent an exhaustive synthesis of peer-reviewed research vetted by scientists worldwide, political leaders and treaties (such as the Paris Agreement) rely on them as an objective foundation. Discrediting the panel's internal integrity thus threatens international climate negotiations at their very core.
EN: The noun phrase 'calls for [something]' uses the preposition 'for' to specify the desired action, reform, or policy. Here, it governs a compound noun phrase joined by 'and' ('transparent vetting procedures and stricter eligibility criteria').
There are mounting calls for independent oversight following the recent regulatory failure.
EN: The demonstrative pronoun 'those' is used generically to mean 'the people / individuals', functioning as the head modified by the reduced participle clause 'authoring...'. This is equivalent to 'those who are authoring...'.
The new guidelines impose stricter liabilities on those managing corporate retirement funds.
EN: 'Author' functions here as an active transitive verb meaning 'to write or compose (a formal document, legislation, or report)'. While historically primarily a noun, its verbal use is standard in formal, administrative, and policy contexts.
A bipartisan group of senators authored the landmark clean energy bill.
EN: The phrase 'consequential reports' subtly points to assessment reports published by bodies like the IPCC, whose findings are not legally binding themselves but serve as the direct scientific underpinning for international treaties (e.g., the Paris Agreement) and climate litigation worldwide. The concept of 'vetting' and 'conflict of interest' governance reflects an ongoing debate in global science diplomacy: balancing geographic and industry expertise against corporate bias.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
A situation in which a person or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation or decision-making.
To cause people to doubt or question something.
Not good enough or not suitable for the intended function or goal.
The set of standards, requirements, or qualifications that determine whether someone is eligible for something.