In a November 14th joint letter, Maersk supported infrastructure and investments to support the use of green hydrogen in shipping and advocated for a 5% zero-emissions fuel target by 2030 to be established through the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The letter also urged the IMO to set 2030 and 2040 GHG emissions reduction targets.
In a social media post on 8th November Edison, an EDF subsidiary supported the role of fossil gas in the energy mix, describing it as essential for energy security.
In a press release published on 14th November, SolarPower Europe supported the ambitious position of the European Parliament on the RePowerEU package, including additional protections to guarantee that Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) money is being directed towards developing renewable projects, and to prevent fossil fuel infrastructure from being funded through the RRF mechanism. Furthermore, the entity supported a 45% renewable energies target as the most cost-effective path to a climate neutral EU in a tweet on 10th November.
In a 2nd November tweet, Eurelectric supported the electrification of transport and the 2035 EU zero-emissions carbon dioxide target for cars and vans.
In a November 16th tweet, the American Petroleum Institute (API) advocated for “uniform” incentives for hydrogen production in the US. API proposed uniform incentives based on tons of emissions reduced to enable all forms of hydrogen production, including hydrogen produced from unabated fossil gas.
In a 20th November Financial Times article, BP’s head of US business stated support for the US Environmental Protection Agency’s 2022 Methane Regulations, and emphasized the need to stop flaring.
In a November 18th Utility Dive article, America’s Power CEO, Michelle Bloodworth, called for the closure of coal-fired power plants to be paused until the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) can assure that the electricity grid is reliable enough to withstand summer and winter extreme weather events.
On 16th November, the ElecTimes reported that the CEO of GS Power, a subsidiary of GS Energy, advocated for the use of gas-fired combined cycle combustion turbine plants in the Korean energy mix, without clear conditions on the deployment of CCS or methane abatement measures.
At a Korea-Germany business roundtable on 4th November, POSCO Managing Director Kim Hee requested government support to ‘solve the hydrogen conversion’, but did not specify POSCO’s position on the need to decarbonize hydrogen production.
On November 15th, the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research released a report commissioned by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS). The report advocated in favor of utilizing shipping to transport green hydrogen and ammonia to enable the wider energy transition in other sectors and regions, alongside the use of green hydrogen to decarbonize maritime from the 2030s. The report further supported a range of policies to promote green hydrogen production, including mandates and production credits under the Inflation Reduction Act.
In a November 11th press release, the American Petroleum Institute (API) appeared unsupportive of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed supplemental methane rule. Instead, API supported a voluntary and technology-led approach to methane emissions reduction and claimed that regulations could ‘inhibit’ industry efforts “with overly prescriptive red tape”.
In a 10th November Twitter post, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) stated support for the decarbonization of the transport sector, and appeared to advocate in favor of India’s 2030 30% electric vehicle target.
As reported by The JoongAng on 13th November, the Chairman of Hyundai Motor, Chung Eui-sun, stated support for ‘strong policy support’ of different countries that would enable corporate investments in new resources and technologies for carbon neutrality at the ‘B20 Summit Indonesia 2022’.
As reported by Fortune Korea on the 3rd of November, the Chairman of SK Inc., Chey Tae-won, appeared to support the energy transition with an increase in renewables and nuclear to achieve net-zero in Korea, without clear statements regarding the pace and extent of this transition and the corporate’s alignment with IPCC recommendations.
At the November 3rd ‘Industry Conference on the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)’ hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MoTIE), the Korea Petrochemical Industry Association (KPIA) advocated for the Korean Emissions Trading System to be included in the EU CBAM, without a clear position on strengthening of carbon price within Korea.
In a position paper on COP27 published on 3rd November, BusinessEurope stated support for the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, and advocated that other G20 nations increase their 2030 targets to close the ambition gap with the EU, suggesting that the EU should not raise its Nationally Determined Contribution unless other countries do too. It also supported the finalization of the Fit for 55 package but stressed the burdens on business and the risks of carbon leakage, advocating for a climate club based on a global carbon price floor. The position paper further stated BusinessEurope was in favor of implementing methane regulations on the fossil gas supply chain, such as performance standards.
In an October 28th investor call, Centrica CEO Chris O’Shea appeared to advocate for a continued role of unabated fossil gas in the UK energy mix, and stated support for unconventional fossil gas extraction, specifically fracking.
In an open letter to the President of the EU Council on 18th October, Corporate Leaders Group Europe and SolarPower Europe advocated for more ambitious, binding targets in the EU Energy Efficiency Directive and the EU Renewable Energy Directive.
On 26th October, SolarPower Europe published a press release calling for more ambitious rooftop solar requirements in the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).
In an October 21st submission to the International Maritime Organization, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) proposed a voluntary target of 5% of the energy used in shipping to come from alternative maritime fuels by 2030, without specifying which fuels count as ‘alternative’. The paper also advocated for a ‘fund and reward’ scheme for alternative fuels and appeared supportive of energy efficiency measures and a 2050 net-zero CO2 emissions target for international shipping.
In a 27th October interview in a 'Return on IT investment' blog, Gas Infrastructure Europe secretary general, Boyana Achovski, stated support for new gas contracts and Liquid Natural Gas imports, alongside building new gas infrastructure.
On the 31st October, the Business Council of Australia released its consultation response on the Electric Vehicle Strategy, in which it stated support for the strategy and acknowledged that electric vehicles are generally more efficient than their internal combustion powered counterparts, and can be powered by renewable energy.
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) released its “Policy Recommendations for a Lower Emissions Future” on 19th October. In the recommendations, the ACC supported carbon pricing that displaced other state and federal regulations. The association took some positive positions, supporting a carbon border adjustment mechanism, a policy that invests in energy efficiency, the US re-entry to the Paris Agreement, and the reduction of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). However, the ACC still supported fossil gas in the energy mix without conditions on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) or methane abatement, and hydrogen production based on fossil fuels.
De Trouw reported on the 13th October that The Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW) supported exemptions for heavy industry from the EU energy efficiency legislative tool, the Energy Savings Obligation, in the Netherlands for the past 20 years, justifying the exemption by stating that industry is already regulated under the EU Emissions Trading System. De Trouw reported on the 17th October that VNO-NCW did not support the planned phase out of Dutch overseas fossil fuel financing by 2023, advocating that this should continue until 2030 since fossil gas is a transition fuel, and that Dutch companies developing fossil fuels in developing countries will be replaced by Russia and China.
In a 21st October S&P Global article, Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Chairman, Rajesh Kumar Srivastava, advocated for new oil and gas investments and infrastructure, alongside harnessing renewable energy resources to ensure India’s energy security.
On 11th October, Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Chairman, Chey Tae-won, appeared to advocate for more ambitious climate policy in South Korea, referencing the US Inflation Reduction Act and EU climate policies to state that “now is the time to provide policy and institutional support to generate more scientific technology and innovative ideas” in Korea.
In a 25th October Gwangju Dream op-ed article, the Honam Branch Director of KT Corporation, Ryu Pyeong, advocated for a more ambitious Korea Emissions Trading Scheme (K-ETS), arguing “a more stringent signal should be given to corporate customers.”
A joint letter signed by Volvo Cars, Eurelectric and the European Association for Electromobility, amongst others, urged EU policymakers to adopt a 2035 zero-emissions CO2 target for cars and vans and oppose a loophole granting cars powered by e-fuels to be included in the target.
In a joint statement with IndustriAll on the 17th October, Eurofer advocated for public funding for industrial decarbonization projects and energy infrastructure, as well as EU regulation to support green steel markets. However, it also stated support for carbon leakage protection measures, referencing a previous statement in 2021 where the association was unsupportive of the EU Commission’s proposed Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and reforms to the EU Emissions Trading System.
Industry associations Eurogas and Gas Infrastructure Europe released a 10th October joint position paper on the upcoming EU Methane Regulation. The groups advocated to weaken and reduce measures for monitoring, reporting and verifying methane emissions, and reducing the frequency of leak detection and repair requirements, alongside opposing venting and flaring proposals.
On the 11th October, the Business Council of Australia (BCA) entered a submission to the Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Climate Trigger) Bill 2022. In the response, the BCA stated that it opposed the introduction of a climate trigger to the policy.
Airlines for America, Airlines for Europe and Boeing announced support for the global net-zero aspirational CO2 goal announced by the UN International Civil Aviation Organization at ICAO last week.
During a conference on fossil gas, Congresso Naturgas 2022 in Cartagena, Ecopetrol supported fossil gas in Colombia, as reported in a company tweet on October 7th. The company’s CEO Felipe Bayón stated that fossil gas was a resource that contributes to the fight against climate change.
Several trade associations and companies, including the American Gas Association and the US Chamber of Commerce, submitted a joint letter on October 6th to the Department of Energy that opposed the proposed energy conservation standard for gas and propane furnaces. In the letter, the groups stated opposition to the energy efficiency standard and advocated against the proposal’s move toward electrification.
Queensland Resources Council has launched a series of ad campaigns targeting the Queensland government’s decision to increase royalties on the coal sector, as reported in a November 23rd article by the Canberra Times. CEO Ian Macfarlane called for the government to reconsider the royalty hike, arguing that the “short-sighted decision” posed a risk to future investment and employment.
In a 21st November joint statement, Eurogas and Gas Distributors for Sustainability (GD4S) called for the EU Methane Regulation for the energy sector to weaken measures monitoring methane emissions, leak detection and repair, and thresholds for venting.
In an open letter to policymakers published on 2nd November, WindEurope, Iberdrola, EDP and Schneider Electric supported the proposed Delegated Act on Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBOs) to boost renewable hydrogen production.
During a quarterly earnings call on November 9th, Occidental Petroleum CEO Vicky Hollub advocated for a long-term role for oil, stating that oil will enable and fund the energy transition. Further, Hollub claimed that “net 0 emission oil” can be produced by using captured carbon dioxide in enhanced oil recovery.
In its Industry Association Climate Review Engagement Update, published in November 2022, Bayer stated support for the climate change provisions in the US Inflation Reduction Act.
In a November 22nd social media post, Tata Steel appeared to support the continuation of the production of steel with coking coal in India.
The Head of Industry at the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) was quoted by MoneyToday in a November 19th article, announcing that FKI was part of a cohort of organizations asking the South Korean government to include nuclear energy as a ‘carbon-free’ power source so that Korean companies could participate in the ‘Carbon-Free 100’ (CF100) initiative over the Renewable Energy (RE100) initiative.
In a November 10th media release, NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee stated that an additional tax on the New South Wales (NSW) thermal coal industry would be strongly resisted by the sector. Galilee also emphasized that other recent policy decisions, such as the safeguard mechanism, methane pledge and the decision to review Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act approvals, were threatening the competitiveness of the NSW coal export sector.
On 14th November, ten organizations across the shipping and green hydrogen value chains, including Fortescue Future Industries, signed a joint statement at COP27, committing to the rapid production and use of green hydrogen-based fuels to achieve full decarbonization of the shipping sector by 2050. The statement called for national governments and the International Maritime Organization to set “robust interim” emissions reduction targets for the maritime sector, and also advocated for green hydrogen producers to collectively meet a 5.5-million-ton 2030 production target.
In a LinkedIn post on 7th November, a Saint-Gobain senior executive strongly advocated for governments to take more ambitious action to improve the energy efficiency of buildings at COP27.
In a November 7th press release published the day after COP27 started, the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) appeared to advocate for a ‘re-examination’ of South Korea’s more ambitious 2030 NDC emissions reduction target, which was submitted to COP26 in November 2021. FKI referred to the results of a survey it commissioned among the top 500 manufacturing companies of Korea, in which 48% of respondents said that the feasibility of achieving the 2030 NDC would be ‘low’ or ‘very low’, and 82% of respondents advocated that ‘a re-examination is necessary’.
In a November 7th press release, Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) advocated for a ‘realistic energy mix policy’ that increases the proportion of nuclear energy in South Korea’s energy mix, stressing concerns over the possibility of achieving the country’s 2030 coal phase-down target and the renewable energy increase target.
In a November 4th joint letter organized by the World Economic Forum, the CEOs of over 100 organizations, including Deutsche Post DHL, Volvo Group, Unilever, Maersk, Microsoft, Enel and Iberdrola called for the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies and “ambitious and Paris-Agreement aligned nationally determined contributions” ahead of COP27. The letter also supported greenhouse gas emissions reductions aligned with 1.5 degrees, energy efficiency incentives and renewable energy legislation.
As reported by Newsway on the 3rd of November, the Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Chey Tae-won, appeared to support the energy transition with an increase in renewables and nuclear to achieve net-zero in Korea, without clear statements regarding the pace and extent of this transition and the association’s alignment with IPCC recommendations.
The American Gas Association (AGA) continues to oppose the US Inflation Reduction Act’s building electrification incentives: in a November 4th press release, AGA CEO Karen Harbert advocated for “a portfolio approach that includes efficient gas end-use applications” as an alternative to switching to electric appliances. On November 1st, Vox reported on AGA’s campaign to engage directly with federal policymakers and increase oversight of the IRA’s High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate program to “allow for fuel neutral energy efficiency investments.” In the same article, Vox quoted a statement from a chief AGA lobbyist, who expressed the association’s concerns with the IRA’s environmental justice block grants and how they “can be used or applied to support gas ban efforts at community levels.”
On November 1st 2022, the American Chemistry Council submitted a comment on the US Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) proposed climate disclosure rule, following up on the Council’s July 2022 comment letter. The Council urged the SEC to withdraw its proposal, asserting that the Supreme Court’s decision in West Virginia v. EPA reinforces the claim that the SEC does not have the authority to finalize the proposal.
In a November 6th press release, the CEO of the Business Council of Australia, Jennifer Westacott, supported Australia and the Pacific Islands bid to host COP31 in 2026, stating that COP31 would be a chance for Australia to lock in the position of a climate leader.
In an open letter to the EU Commission on 27th October, Enel, Iberdrola and Schneider Electric advocated for 'ecodesign' regulation to implement an EU-wide phase-out of the sale of 'stand-alone' fossil fuel boilers before 2029.
In an article published on 28th October, the Federation of German Industries (BDI) expressed its opposition to the EU Parliament’s decision to phase out light duty internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by 2035. On the same day, the association opposed the ban in a tweet, calling for the use of e-fuels instead.
On joint written evidence sent to the UK Financial Services and Markets Bill Committee and prepared on the 26th October, executives of Aviva, Aegon and Phoenix Group, amongst others, called for a secondary statutory objective for regulators to facilitate the transition of the financial services sector to net-zero and highlighted concerns that the “proposed regulatory principle will not provide a sufficiently strong legal basis for regulators to promote a thriving net-zero financial sector”.
Eurometal reported on 26th October that SSAB Chief Technology Officer, Martin Pei, advocated for an ambitious low-carbon emissions standard for steel in the EU.
On 26th of October, in written evidence sent to the UK Financial Services and Markets Bill Committee, the Investment Association supported the proposal to include references to climate and net-zero into the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) regulatory principles.
Audi (a Volkswagen subsidiary) CEO, Markus Duesmann, stated support for both a speed limit on the autobahn and Car Free Sundays in Germany in an interview with Süddeutschen Zeitung on October 26th, one of the first German autos CEOs to come out in support of such climate-related policies.
As reported by the New York Times on October 20th, the American Gas Association (AGA) is directly engaging with federal policymakers in opposition to the Inflation Reduction Act’s electric home rebate program, which incentivizes electrification projects for low and moderate-income households. The article stated that AGA is pushing back against the program and advocating for the continued role of fossil gas in the residential sector by “preparing to team up with House Republicans to intensify oversight of the Energy Department” as midterm elections approach.
The CEO of the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA), Samantha McCullogh, welcomed Australia’s commitment to the Global Methane Pledge in an October 23rd press release.
As reported by Seoul Economy Daily on October 25th, the new Chairman of Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA), Kang Nam-hoon, appeared unsupportive of the South Korean government’s carbon neutrality policy, stating the policy put “a burden on the industry’s transition to future cars.”
In an LNG Producer-Consumer Conference hosted by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the Mitsubishi Corporation posted a video message suggesting that it would be necessary to have separate roadmaps towards carbon neutrality for the developed countries and developing countries, target years should be set at 2050 for developed countries and 2060 or beyond for the developing countries. In the same video, it has also emphasized the support for the continuous use of fossil gas for the energy transition in Asia.
Euractiv reported on 11th October that EU policymakers had made concessions to the EU steel industry in EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) trilogues, agreeing that proposed reforms to tighten the benchmark against which free allowances for the industry are measured should be scrapped. Eurofer stated support for this outcome, which it has consistently advocated for since the reform proposal in 2020. Eurofer also suggested it did not support the proposal for the phase out of the free allocation of emissions allowances alongside the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.
In an interview with Financial Times, published on October 13th, Chevron CEO Mike Wirth appeared to state that governments “doubling down” on climate policies will impact the global energy markets negatively. Wirth further opposed an ambitious energy transition and stated that a “premature” effort to transition away from fossil fuels, including “under-investment in new oil supply” have contributed to the energy crisis in Europe and the US.
In an 11th October tweet, industry association Gas Distributors for Sustainability (GD4S) advocated for technological neutrality to be considered in the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, particularly a role for fossil gas hybrid technologies.
On October 11th, the CEOs of WindEurope, Iberdrola, SSE, Siemens Energy, EDP, and the South African Wind Energy Association signed an open letter from the global wind energy industry to G20 and world leaders. In the letter, the companies and associations called for urgent action to combat climate change via an accelerated, more ambitious transition towards renewables including wind energy. The letter called for 9 cases of policy commitment, including increased ambition in renewable energy deployment, development of renewable energy financing and infrastructure, and fostering of multi-lateral renewable energy partnerships and trade agreements.
At the Energy Intelligence Forum, Saudi Aramco President and CEO, Amin Nasser, supported the development of oil and gas, as reported by a company tweet on October 6th. Nasser stated that alternative energy sources such as solar and wind are “not ready yet to shoulder” a large portion of the energy requirements.
In a 10th October Mail Business Newspaper op-ed article, the Vice President of the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), Jung Man-ki, appeared to support the expansion of green hydrogen in the Korea energy mix, stating “it is inevitable to replace blue hydrogen with green hydrogen in the long term.”
BusinessEurope’s leadership stressed the ambition gap between the EU and other countries after COP27 on November 17th and 22nd. Director General Markus J. Beyrer advocated for higher ambition, whilst stating that the EU’s target is “already very high” and stressing burdens on the region. President Fredrik Persson stated that the ambition gap had widened, yet supported implementing binding domestic legislation to achieve climate targets. The President supported 100 billion dollars in climate finance and the Director General supported the agreement on a loss and damage fund.
In a 14th November Twitter post, industry association Gas Infrastructure Europe called for new liquified natural gas regasification capacity, suggesting it will not become a stranded asset.
In an open letter to Commissioner Breton, a number of entities including Eurelectric, the European Association for Electromobility (AVERE) and Transport & Environment strongly supported the phase out of internal combustion vehicles in the EU by 2035. In the letter, the entities also expressed concerns regarding the Commissioner’s description of the policy as a “massive disruption” to the automotive sector.
In a tweet on 17th November, WindEurope supported the EU target of 43% wind energy by 2030, emphasizing that slow permitting is holding back the EU's renewable build-out.
In an article in the Financial Times on 9th November, Iberdrola CEO Ignacio Galan welcomed the US entry into climate policy, and praised the Inflation Reduction Act’s focus on electrification of transport and heating, alongside its incentives for green hydrogen production.
In an article published on finanznachrichten.de on 9th November, Federation of German Industries (BDI) President Siegfried Russwurm advocated to weaken the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), emphasizing that its implementation guidelines should be as generous as possible instead of rapid to avoid putting European companies at a disadvantage against American companies, stating the law could lead to a "harmful subsidy race."
A cross-sector coalition of companies including Samsung Electronics, Meta, Enel Green Power and IKEA (through the Ingka Group) are founding members of the newly launched Asia Clean Energy Coalition, a new initiative formed in part to reshape the policy and regulatory environments for clean energy procurement in Asia.
In an interview with Business Post on 14th November, Yu Hwan-ik, Director of Industry at the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), called for ‘urgently needed’ government-level support to help Korean industry prepare for EU and US border carbon taxes, including systems to ‘calculate and submit emissions data that meets EU standards’.
The NSW Minerals Council, the Queensland Resources Council, the Minerals Council of Australia and Whitehaven Coal have all called on the Federal Government to rule out a new tax on gas and coal producers in separate statements released between November 11th and 16th, emphasizing issues of investor confidence and employment.
A Telegraph article from November 9th reports that Rolls-Royce is promoting the use of small modular reactors in Wales, while taking no clear position on the energy mix generally.
In a 10th November interview with media outlet wGospodarce, PGE Group CEO Wojciech Dąbrowski appeared to advocate for a continued role of coal power alongside renewable energy development in Poland.
In November 5th media releases, America’s Power and the National Mining Association opposed remarks made by President Biden on the transition from coal-fired power plants to wind farms. The associations stressed that replacing coal with wind would create instability in the US’s power grid, and that this kind of transition would intensify the global energy crisis. America’s Power also emphasized the costs of replacing coal-fired power plants with wind farms.
In a November 7th ABC News article, Fortescue Metals Group Chairman, Andrew Forrest, called for no new coal-fired power stations in China, and for the country to transfer to non-fossil fuel energy. Forrest also called on energy producers to provide renewable energy options to their consumers, and for industry leaders to take the lead in solutions removing fossil fuels from value chains and industrial processes.
At the November 3rd ‘Industry Conference on the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)’ hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MoTIE), the Korea Iron and Steel Association (KOSA) asked for support from the MoTIE to pay attention to Korean companies, and to ensure they are not discriminated against compared to EU companies under the EU CBAM.
In a press release published on the 3rd November, VNO-NCW stated opposition to the Netherlands’ decision to withdraw financial support for fossil fuel development in developing countries, stating that it would create an uneven playing field and suggesting it would be better to wait for other countries first. The association also suggested that fossil gas would be useful in developing countries to prevent the use of coal without placing conditions on the use of methane mitigation technologies.
On November 1st, the US Chamber submitted a comment on the US Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) proposed climate disclosure rule, following up on the Chamber’s June 2022 comment letter. The Chamber reasserted its view that the SEC lacks authority to finalize the rule, citing the Supreme Court’s decision in West Virginia v. EPA and suggesting that the rule implicates the “major questions doctrine.” The Chamber also cited "unusually widespread concerns" about the rule, coming from "every segment of the market."
In a November 8th AFR article, Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher blamed energy policy failure in Australia and domestic climate wars for the energy crisis, while advocating for the government to invest to develop new gas sources.
In a Financial Times interview on November 6th, Maersk’s head of decarbonization criticized oil companies for holding back the clean energy transition for shipping by failing to supply enough green methanol to meet climate targets.
On 19th October, a number of entities including SmartEn, the European Association for Electromobility (AVERE) and SolarPower Europe, published a joint letter to the EU energy ministers and Members of European Parliament, calling for a more ambitious solar mandate for buildings in the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).
On 26th October, heavy industry associations Eurofer, Eurometaux and CEMBUREAU published a joint statement on the EU’s trilogues on the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) Reform and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The associations stated opposition to an ambitious phase out of the free allocation of emissions allowances alongside a CBAM, preferring the maintenance of full benchmark-based free allocation until the CBAM is proven effective. Failing this, they supported the EU Council’s proposed slower phase out of free allowances compared to the EU Commission proposal.
The news outlet Euractiv reported on 28th October that thyssenkrupp’s Head of Public Affairs and Chair of Eurofer’s energy committee supported regulation to scale up green hydrogen production and infrastructure in the EU to decarbonize steel.
In an October 26th press release, International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) proposed a ‘fund a reward’ scheme for alternative maritime fuels to be established through the International Maritime Organization. The measure would impose a levy on ships per tonne of CO2 emitted, which would be used to reward the use of alternative maritime fuels dependent on the fuel’s CO2 emissions savings. Despite identifying that a 100 USD levy would not cause “disproportionately negative” economic impacts, ICS suggested a levy "much lower" than 100 USD, subject to review after 5 years.
On October 21st, after the International Sustainability Standards Board voted to include Scope 3 emissions disclosures in the global baseline for climate related-disclosures, the Bank Policy Institute issued a press release that called the decision “premature.”
Hydrogen Europe supported more ambitious measures to decarbonize the transport sector in the EU Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, specifically hydrogen-based heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs), in a 19th October press release.
In an October 19th press release, Airlines for Europe (A4E) stated general support for the EU Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, with the exception that it excludes small airports with a capacity of under 10,000 scheduled commercial movements per year.
In an interview with Maeil Business Newspaper published on October 25th, the General Manager of Foreign Investment Strategy of GS Energy, Song Kyu-ho, stated support for carbon capure and storage (CCS) development, but did not take a clear position on the role of fossil fuels in the energy mix.
In an October 17th Automotive News Europe article, Stellantis CEO, Carlos Tavares, appeared to explicitly oppose the EU's 2035 100% zero-emissions vehicle target, which would effectively phase out the sale of new ICE-powered light-duty vehicles in the EU, for the first time. Tavares called for the policy to be renegotiated to include a long-term role for hybrid vehicles.
In a letter to the Chair of the EU Environment Council on 11th October, BusinessEurope supported finalizing work on the Fit for 55 package before COP27. However, it also stressed that the challenges and burdens facing EU industry should be taken into account. BusinessEurope also seemed to support the EU Commission’s decision to exclude GHG emissions in the revision of the Industrial Emissions Directive, a position which is misaligned with the original ambition of the proposal.
GasNaturally co-chair, Francois-Regis Mouton, signed a joint statement with Jozef Síkela, Minister of Industry and Trade in the Czech presidency of the EU Council, which called for a ramp-up of European fossil gas production, supporting diversifying gas imports into Europe, encouraging new LNG terminals to be established.
In a Euractiv article from the 7th of October on the revision of the banking regulation in the EU, the European Banking Federation (EBF) opposed amendments tabled by the EU Parliament to increase risk-weights for existing and new fossil fuel exposures, calling them “counterproductive”.
In a tweet on 5 October, SolarPower Europe strongly supported a renewable energy target of 45% for 2030 in the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED).
Keidanren released a proposal paper advocating for the development of a roadmap and closer studies on key technologies for 2030-2040, including batteries for transport, hydrogen/ammonia for thermal power and transport, nuclear, renewables, CCS/CCUS and direct air capture (DACCS) on October 11.
In an October 3rd press release, Advanced Energy Economy opposed the provisions in Virginia Governor Youngkin’s released Energy Plan that propose to weaken elements of the state’s 2020 climate law. As proposed, the Energy Plan aims to remove Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and the Advanced Clean Car standards, in addition to supporting a long-term role for fossil fuels.
The 2022 Climate Policy Footprint identifies the 25 most negative and influential corporations globally. It combines assessments from InfluenceMap’s recognized platform for assessing corporate climate policy engagement with indicators to the judge relative economic and political clout of each com...
The 50 Most Influential Companies and Industry Associations Blocking Climate Policy Action Globally
To qualify, a company must exhibit sufficient support for ambitious climate policy, strategic levels of engagement with climate policy, and leadership in its sector. Links to industry associations egregiously opposing climate policy can disqualify a company from the list.
Despite the CA100+ initiative having clear expectations on Paris-aligned lobbying, only 2 of the 31 CA100+ target companies found to be engaging on the taxonomy appear to be supportive of its science-based guidance with 4 companies advocating mixed or unclear positions, leaving more than 80% push...
This report is being released in conjunction with InfluenceMap's revamped, interactive CA100+ platform which contains additional analysis covering the climate lobbying of CA100+ target companies.
