The Stanford Board of Trustees Advisory Panel on Investment Responsibility (APIR) voted last week to support a joint shareholder resolution that will call on Exxon Mobil to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The vote, held by the APIR — a committee affiliated with the Board of Trustees — came as a response to growing alumni frustration over an Exxon Mobil publicity campaign that used Stanford’s name to portray the energy company as environmentally friendly.

The APIR voted to support Resolution 15, which Exxon Mobil shareholders will decide on at an annual meeting on May 30. The resolution is being co-filed by 41 shareholders, including several faith-based organizations. It calls on Exxon Mobil to look into ways that would quantitatively reduce greenhouse gas emissions at a reasonable cost.

“Exxon is one of the smartest companies on the planet,” said Kirk Miller M.S. ‘89, who organized the alumni campaign. “If [it] really [puts] effort into addressing climate change issues, it’s possible that real climate change solutions could come forth.”

Civil and Environmental Engineering Prof. Mark Jacobson said he was a bit more pessimistic that a shareholder resolution could have a lasting effect on a big oil company like Exxon Mobil.

“It’s a good idea but I don’t think it will be effective,” Jacobson said. “Exxon Mobil will continue to fight against the regulations. I think it will be a token effort but that it’s not going to have an impact on Exxon Mobil.”

Exxon Mobil has advertised the company’s financial support of the University’s Global Climate and Energy Project (GCEP) — which is also supported by Toyota, General Electric (GE) and Schlumberger — as an example of its new “green” focus. But Stanford alumni and faculty claim that the company’s use of the Stanford name is not justified.

GCEP director Franklin “Lynn” Orr, a professor of energy resources engineering, declined to comment on the APIR vote.

Miller, however, said he was worried that Exxon’s support of the GCEP project would not extend to use of new technologies developed in the energy industry.

“Since the GCEP project started, many alumni have been really, really unhappy with how Exxon has been portraying its relationship with Stanford,” Miller said. “GE is not abusing Stanford’s name. Toyota isn’t and they’re putting in a lot of money as well.”

“The only bad actor,” he said, “is Exxon.”