According to a May 11th 2022 Politico report, a proposal by Airlines for Europe (A4E) advocated for continued free emissions allowances for aviation under the EU Emissions Trading System, allocated based on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) usage. The proposal argues the mechanisms would incentivize the deployment of SAFs more than a mandate.
In a letter to the EU Parliament Environment Committee in May 2022, BusinessEurope did not support the EU Commission’s proposal for a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), suggesting that the free allocation of emissions allowances in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) should be maintained until 2030 at its current level. BusinessEurope also stated that the EU ETS reform should avoid “disproportionate cost burdens and undermining carbon leakage measures.”
In a 6th May 2022 press release, the President of Confindustria strongly opposed the EU ETS, calling for the EU’s flagship emissions trading system to be suspended and suggesting that it over-penalizes Italian companies. The association has repeatedly made this call since it was first detected by InfluenceMap in March 2022.
On 4th May, Eurelectric signed a joint letter urging the EU Parliament’s environment committee to support a 2035 CO2 zero-emissions target (and effective ICE vehicle phase-out) ahead of the Parliament vote on 11th May. Eurelectric also advocated for higher CO2 reduction targets for carmakers in 2025, 2030 and an interim target in 2027, as well as calling for a rejection of loopholes being pushed by the oil & gas industry that would allow carmakers to buy fuel credits to comply with CO2 targets.
In a 4th May joint report, Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) did not appear to support the EU’s CO2 emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles, instead promoting the use of alternative ICE (internal combustion engine) technologies in heavy-duty vehicles, such as bio-LNG. In the same report, GIE also supported the EU Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation with major exceptions, such as advocating for the inclusion of LNG and CNG infrastructure in the scope of the policy.
In a May 9th Forum24 article, Euracoal Secretary General, Brian Ricketts, supported the diversification of Europe’s energy mix away from dependency on Russian fossil fuels by supporting the use of coal imported from Australia and the United States. Ricketts said that “coal is the easiest problem to solve”, and stated that the two countries could replace 70 percent of Russian coal imported into the EU.
In April 25th comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the American Gas Association opposed the draft gas policy update and stated that the Commission was acting beyond its statutory authority in proposing that climate impacts be considered in the updated interstate gas pipeline approval process. Similarly, Cheniere Energy advocated for the Commission to remove the proposed GHG emissions threshold from the draft update.
In a 3rd May joint letter, several European gas-sector trade associations including Eurogas, Gas Infrastructure Europe, GasNaturally, Gas Distributors for Sustainability, along with Volvo advocated to weaken the EU Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation by providing greater support and ambition to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) infrastructure.
On the 1st of May, the Korea Economic Daily reported that the Korea Independent Power Producers Association (IPPA) sent a policy proposal on coal-fired power plants to South Korea's Commission on Presidential Transition. IPPA argued that the early retirement of older coal-fired power plants could be accomplished in early stages due to the abolition of nuclear phase-out policy; however, the association argues that newer coal plants should continue to operate. The association also insisted that “enough compensation should be provided to private power producers” if the government would close down coal-fired power plants.
The news outlet DW reported on 21st April that BASF subsidiary Wintershall Dea supported diversifying the energy mix in Europe away from dependency on Russian fossil fuels, by supporting new oil infrastructure. It also suggested that fracking in Germany is technically feasible, but not politically possible.
In an April 25th Twitter post, Siemens Gamesa CEO, Jochen Eickholt, appeared to support French Climate Law, which legislates a 2050 climate neutrality target, stating that Siemens Gamesa “looks forward to working with the French government on its journey to net zero by 2050 and supporting its plans to secure energy independence”. Siemens Gamesa is a subsidiary of Siemens Energy.
In an April 22nd Automotive News media report, Markus Duesmann, CEO of Audi (a Volkswagen subsidiary), advocated for the complete phase-out of fossil fuel use across the European automotive industry by 2040, urging Europeans to "put all their energy towards battery-electric vehicles for individual mobility".
According to an April 22nd article by the Kansas City Star, Evergy directly advocated to Kansas City policymakers to oppose the coal phase-out provisions in the city’s climate action plan.
In April 18th comments to the federal regulatory docket on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) guidance, Edison Electric Institute suggested that CCS can be used to increase or sustain the current amount of fossil gas in the energy mix, stating that “consistent, coordinated, and streamlined federal regulations on CCUS are essential to ensuring the continued availability of natural gas as a 24/7 on-demand energy source.”
On the 26th of April, the CEO of GS Energy, Huh Yong-soo, stated that small modular reactors (SMR) would be “the most effective means of achieving carbon neutrality”. However, the CEO did not specify how the role of nuclear would lead to a full transition towards a zero-emission energy system.
In an April 12th Italian parliamentary hearing, Confindustria advocated for an increase in domestic fossil gas production and proposed a suspension of the EU ETS to reduce energy prices. The association also supported renewable energy legislation, including accelerating approvals for projects.
In a position paper on the Hydrogen and Gas Markets Decarbonization Package, published on 12th April 2022, Cefic did not support the proposal to blend hydrogen with fossil gas, preferring pure fossil gas networks. The association stated support for the roll out of low-carbon and renewable solutions, including hydrogen, albeit in a technology neutral manner. Cefic also seemed supportive of the phase out of unabated fossil gas in the energy mix, but advocated for long-term gas contracts to create low-carbon hydrogen and for carbon capture use and storage (CCUS).
In a 13th April joint letter to EU policymakers, industry associations WindEurope and SolarPower Europe supported the EU Commission’s REPowerEU plan to reduce the bloc’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels. The letter also advocated for an increase in renewable energy capacity and storage investments in the EU.
In a corporate report titled “The Path to Net Zero: A Decarbonization Roadmap for California”, released on April 5th, Sempra subsidiary San Diego Gas & Electric appeared to support the electrification of the state building and transportation sectors with major exceptions. The subsidiary emphasized the need for “clean fuels” without clarifying a position on decarbonizing hydrogen production or on the need to deploy methane abatement or CCS measures on the continued use of fossil gas.
In a press release on 6th April, Verband der Chemischen Industrie (VCI) Director General Wolfgang Große Entrup supported Germany’s Easter Energy Strategy to diversify the energy mix away from Russian fossil fuels. He was supportive of increasing renewable energy production, although he was also in favor of reducing the German Renewable Energy Levy (EEG) to zero. The Director General also advocated for new LNG infrastructure.
In an April 2022 position paper on the EU Hydrogen and Gas Decarbonization Package, Fortum supported the package with major exceptions. The utility promoted a continued role of unabated fossil gas, supported fossil gas and hydrogen blending, and supported exemptions for LNG in the package.
On April 8th, Bank of America expressed support for the Securities and Exchange Commission’s proposed climate disclosure rule, emphasizing that Scope 3 disclosures should not be immediately required.
On April 6th, senior executives from Shell, BP, ExxonMobil and Chevron gave written testimony to The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, all advocating in favor of expanded oil and gas production. ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods called for policies to encourage further investment into oil and gas production and infrastructure. Mike Wirth, CEO of Chevron stressed the importance of working with policymakers to accelerate ‘new energy exploration’ or ‘streamlining the permitting process’. President of BP America, David Lawler, appeared to support the continuation of fossil fuel investments. Similarly, Shell USA President, Gretchen Watkins, stated support for an accelerated energy transition while simultaneously advocating for measures to increase oil and gas production in the short term in response to the Ukraine crisis. These included accelerated permitting of projects and an end to the pause on new federal oil and gas leases.
In an April 3rd article by The Hill, the CEO of Advanced Energy Economy advocated for President Biden to invoke the Defense Production Act to accelerate the deployment of heat pumps for both domestic use and to send to Europe to reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels.
In an article in The Express on 31st March, the Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry reportedly urged the UK Government not to drop its net-zero target, arguing that “growth is green”.
In direct consultation with EU Parliament rapporteur for the Energy Taxation Directive (ETD) on the 18th March, BusinessEurope Green Tax Group supported the revision of the ETD and the reform to introduce a framework based on energy content. However, the group stressed concerns regarding elements which they said would harm the competitiveness of energy-intensive industry.
U.S. businesses including Walmart, Siemens USA, Nestle, DSM North America, and others signed a joint letter organized by Ceres strongly supporting legislation in Maryland that would require the state to achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2045, with at least a 50% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030.
Following the release of the SEC’s proposed rule-making on climate change disclosures on March 21st, Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) released a statement from CEO Kenneth Bentsen that expressed concerns with some aspects of the proposal including Scope 3 disclosures, “limited” safe harbor provisions, and “hastened” implementation timelines.
In a March 2021 speech to the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers’ Conference, Dow CEO Jim Fitterling called for an “all-of-the-above" energy policy that included fossil gas and suggested that renewable energy alone is not the solution.
On March 30th, Mining Weekly reported that Queensland Resources Council (QRC) CEO Ian Macfarlane supported the Australian federal government’s 2022/23 budget, specifically backing the government’s commitment to develop a reliable supply of domestic gas. Macfarlane appeared to support an increase in gas in the energy mix, citing that current “geopolitical uncertainty” supports the case for more local supply chains of gas.
According to Colorado state lobbying records for the 2022 legislative session, Xcel Energy has been lobbying since March 17th against Colorado Senate Bill 22-138, which includes updated statewide GHG emissions reduction targets for 2028 and 2040. Previously, in February 2022, the utility had been monitoring the bill and has since changed its position to “oppose”.
In a March 27th interview with the Financial Times, Daimler Trucks CEO, Martin Daum, emphasized that the costs of electric heavy-duty vehicles will “forever be higher” than combustion engine equivalents, while appearing to also support subsidies to promote the electrification of heavy-duty transport.
On the 25th March, Origin gave testimony at the senate inquiry into oil and gas exploration at the Beetaloo Basin, in which it appeared to support the long-term role of fossil gas in the energy mix, as well as stating support for fossil fuel subsidies.
On the 15th of March, Fox Business reported that National Mining Association CEO Rich Nolan believes U.S. coal plants were shut down prematurely. Nolan also stated that coal producers in the U.S. can contribute to the current European energy crisis, owing to the conflict in Ukraine, particularly as the U.S. has more coal reserves than any other country globally.
In a letter to the Chair of the EU Environment Council on 16th March, BusinessEurope opposed the EU Commission’s proposed CO2 standards to phase out internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by 2035 on the basis of technology neutrality in road transportation, as it suggested that it is “impractical and risks large negative employment effects.”
In a letter to the Chair of the EU Environment Council on 16th March, BusinessEurope suggested that the Fit for 55 package and its timelines should be reassessed to balance climate goals with a transition that is “economically and socially bearable.” However, the association advocated that the RePower EU plan should go further to speed up permitting timelines for renewable and low-carbon energy projects.
Following the release of the US Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) proposed rule-making on climate disclosures, the Bank Policy Institute published a press release on March 21st arguing that the proposal was “overly ambitious”, and urged the SEC to move forward in a more measured way.
In a March 21st press release, the American Petroleum Institute (API) did not appear to support the US Securities and Exchange Commission's proposed rule on climate change disclosures. API argued that it would “create confusion for investors and capital markets”.
In a 17th March Twitter post, Verbund CEO Michael Strugl advocated for diversifying the energy mix in Europe away from dependency on fossil fuels imports, by supporting new fossil fuel infrastructure.
In an Economic Times article published on the 15th March, Chairman of Maruti Suzuki, RC Bhargava, appeared unsupportive of the electrification of transportation in India, arguing that "electric vehicles will not give the intended reduction in carbon emissions for the next 10-15 years". He called on the government to support alternative technologies such as compressed natural gas (CNG), bio-CNG, ethanol and hybrid vehicles, including lower taxation.
In a 9th March article by SP Global, Eurogas secretary general, James Watson, advocated for greater liquified natural gas (LNG), labelling it “part of the solution” to diversifying the European energy mix away from Russian fossil gas.
During CERAWeek, a representative from subsidiary Sempra Infrastructure was reported in a March 14th article as advocating to replace Russian fossil gas with U.S. LNG, stating that “U.S. LNG should replace all of Russian gas to Europe.”
The American Gas Association continues to advocate for domestic fossil gas production in response to the crisis in Ukraine and rising gas prices in Europe. In a March 7th press release, CEO Karen Harbert called fossil gas “a strategic and essential asset for our country and the world.” In a March 9th press release, Harbert responded to the U.S. ban on Russian fossil fuel imports by advocating for domestic fossil gas as the more secure alternative to “the international market for LNG.”
On 10th March, SSE CEO, Alistair Phillips-Davies, stated in a media release that the company remained a strong advocate for the UK’s net zero 2050 target.
On 7th March, Steel & Metal News Korea released an interview with Hyundai Steel Executive Vice President Yong-hee Kim, in which he appeared to accept the necessity of decarbonizing the steel industry through the transition from blast to electric furnaces. VP Kim called for ‘active support’ from government via ‘policies and projects’ to overcome technological barriers and encourage investment in new technologies.
Emails from January 2022 obtained by an InfluenceMap Freedom of Information Request show evidence of BlackRock communicating support for continued investment in oil and gas to Texas regulators.
On the 25th February, CEMBUREAU published a position paper arguing against a reform of the Renewable Energy Directive to remove exemptions for waste biomass from GHG saving criteria, advocating that the cement industry uses waste biomass to replace fossil fuels in the production process.
According to an article on 1st March by Carbon Pulse, Confindustria reportedly called for a temporary suspension of the EU carbon market to ease pressure on industry due to high gas prices and the risk of a gas supply cut by Russia.
On March 4th, American Gas Association (AGA) released its 2022 Playbook in which it advocated for the long-term role of fossil gas and “renewable natural gas” without providing any clear conditions on CCS or methane abatement measures. The association emphasized the reliability and affordability of the fossil fuel and stated in the accompanying press release that it was “bringing much needed clarity to the debate about our energy future in the U.S”
On 8th March 2022 at CERAWeek, ConocoPhillip’s CEO Ryan Lance stated that “poor energy policy, poor regulatory policy” in the US have led to the current energy crisis. This appears to be an attempt to leverage the current situation in Ukraine to criticize US policies designed to transition the energy mix and address climate change. Lance further complained about the ‘maligning of the fossil fuel industry’ and the ‘drive towards a cliff transition’.
In amilder statement, Chevron’s CEO, Mike Wirth, told investors at Chevron’s Investor Day Presentation on the 1st March, that US energy policy has been too focused on producing cleaner energy, and not on affordability and reliability. Wirth called for a greater ‘balancing’ of the three.
In a March 3rd news article, ABC News reported that Ian Macfarlane, the chief executive of Queensland Resources Council (QRC), believed that domestic Australian coal-fired power stations could be closed within a decade. Macfarlane said that “domestic coal-fired generation is rapidly approaching the time when it will close and that might be within the decade”, particularly considering the accelerated closure of other stations across Australia.
This admission is unprecedented, particularly as QRC has consistently supported coal in the energy mix, including in a February 2022 press release wherein Macfarlane stated that the council was engaging with government to support coal and gas under Queensland’s draft Resources Industry Development Plan.
In a February 28th interview with Yahoo Finance to discuss energy markets, Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) CEO Ralph Izzo supported the proposed clean energy tax credits in the Build Back Better Act and stated that these climate provisions are “desperately needed.”
In a February 24th press release, Sempra subsidiary SoCalGas broadly supported the new California renewable gas standard. The Public Utilities Commission has established biomethane procurement goals for 2025 and 2030, making California the first state in the U.S. to enact this kind of standard.
In a press release on 1st March, the European Round Table for Industry stated that it had supported accelerating the green transition in the context of geopolitical disruption in a meeting with President Macron, Chancellor Scholz and President Von Der Leyen in Paris.
In a 22nd February joint letter to the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, trade association WindEurope and companies Siemens Energy and General Electric, among others, called for the EU to improve and create new measures to support the expansion of the wind energy sector. This included more streamlined permitting, changes to auction bidding, and more support for innovation.
As reported on February 16th, Exelon subsidiaries Pepco and BGE opposed the Maryland Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022. In testimony during a hearing before the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, the subsidiaries stated that the building electrification provisions of the bill went “too far, too fast” and appeared to oppose bans on fossil gas.
In February 8th comments to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities docket on gas capacity planning, NRG appeared to oppose electrification mandates and suggest that the Supporting maintenance of high GHG emissions energy mix long-term role for fossil gas and “renewable natural gas” in the energy mix is desirable, without providing any clear conditions on CCS or methane abatement measures.
In a February 2022 joint letter to Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, several trade associations including Eurelectric and International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), advocated strongly in favour of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The letter called for the EU ETS to remain as the “cornerstone of European climate policy”, for its promotion of regulatory certainty.
A representative from Shell was reported by OilPrice to have stated that the company anticipates a 90% growth in LNG over the next 20 years, being driven primarily by demand in Asia as countries replace more polluting sources, adding that ‘focusing on cleaner forms of gas and decarbonisation measures will help LNG to remain a reliable and flexible energy source for decades to come’
Politico reported that a senior executive of Portland Cement Association supported the tax credits and assistance for carbon capture and storage in the Build Back Better legislation and urged for them to be pushed through on their own or in a package of incentives.
The US Chamber of Commerce responded to US and global consultations on integrating climate risk into financial regulation, advocating for a market-driven approach to tackling climate financial risk and arguing that any regulation must be highly flexible.
In a February 9th Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) letter to Congressional leadership, a group of companies advocated for the passage of the climate provisions in the Build Back Better Act. The companies specifically supported the clean energy tax credits and called for Congress to “overcome the present impasse.”
Republicans on the Senate Banking Committee are obstructing the nomination of Sarah Bloom Raskin to the Federal Reserve, along with four other Federal Reserve nominees. This opposition follows a letter sent to the Committee by the US Chamber that raised concerns about Bloom Raskin’s past criticisms of lending to fossil fuel companies.
Multiple companies, including DSM, General Motors, LafargeHolcim, Salesforce, Siemens, in collaboration with Ceres, are planning to meet with Congressional officials to urge swift passage of a federal reconciliation bill that includes historic climate, clean energy, and environmental justice investments.
In a statement in its February 2022 Q1 Earnings Call, Siemens Energy appeared to support the weakening of the EU's sustainable finance taxonomy to include electricity generation from fossil gas.
In a webinar organized by Euractiv, the Director General of Eurofer, Axel Eggert, did not support the EU Commission’s proposal for a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) as it did not support phasing out free allocation from 2023. He also advocated for a solution for exports to be included in the CBAM.
In a webinar with the rapporteur for the reform of the EU Emissions Trading System in the EU Parliament, Peter Liese, the Director General of BusinessEurope Markus J. Beyrer stated that the organization did not support the EU Commission’s proposed reforms to the EU ETS. In particular, he advocated against the reduction in free allocation of emissions allowances, and suggested that the proposal needs significant changes.
In a February 2022 Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland interview, the CEO of Porsche (a Volkswagen subsidiary), Oliver Blume, appeared to support the long-term role of internal combustion engine vehicles, alongside advocating for the use of e-fuels to decarbonize ICE vehicles over the electrification of transportation.
In a February 2022 press release, Confindustria reiterated proposals to increase fossil gas production in Italy, advocating for a doubling of domestic production without conditions around use of CCS, risking locking in unabated fossil fuel use.
In a February 2022 press release, president of trade association GasNaturally, Dawn Summers, welcomed the weakening of the EU Commission's proposal for the sustainable finance taxonomy by including fossil gas. The statement also advocated for greater recognition of fossil gas, and a higher threshold of 340g CO2e/kWh for electricity generation to enable the inclusion of more fossil gas technologies
In January, Euractiv reported that BusinessEurope did not support the EU Parliament or EU Commission’s proposals for a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to phase out free allocation and replacing it with a “wholly unpredictable” mode of carbon leakage protection, suggesting that the proposed timeline is rushed. However, it did support the creation of an EU-level CBAM authority.
In a press release, IOGP Europe praised the EU commission's proposal to weaken the sustainable finance taxonomy by including fossil gas and appeared to advocate for the technical criteria to also be weakened to allow for more fossil gas projects to be included.
In February 3rd written testimony to the Virginia House Commerce and Energy Committee, the American Clean Power Association advocated for policymakers to oppose House Bill 118, which would repeal the renewable energy requirements of the Virginia Clean Economy Act. This support for the Virginia Clean Economy Act, enacted in 2020, arrives at a time when several pieces of legislation are being introduced in the state in the effort to rollback provisions of the law.
easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air signed a joint letter advocating for the EU’s aviation climate policies to apply to all flights departing from European airports, not just intra-EU flights, and opposing new EU mechanisms to address carbon leakage. This includes expanding the scope of the EU ETS for aviation to include all international flights, and supporting the inclusion of all departing international flights in the EU’s sustainable aviation fuels mandate.
On January 25th, Edison Electric Institute filed a legal brief together with the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, in which it advocated for the Supreme Court to uphold the EPA’s authority to regulate GHG emissions. EEI stated preference for allowing “reasonable regulation of GHGs” over an alternative outcome in which the power industry were subject to a “multiplicity of tort suits.”
All five Big Tech companies alongside other companies including Netflix, Siemens, and Johnson Controls filed a legal brief with the U.S. Supreme Court supporting the EPA’s right to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. The brief is meant to persuade the Court against siding with the state of West Virginia in its case against the EPA. The case has clear implications for the future of US climate regulation.
The Federation of German Industries (BDI) strongly supported energy efficiency legislation in Germany in a January 2022 press release, requesting that the ‘Effizienzhaus 55’ funding program be reintroduced, following news that the federal government had terminated the funding stream.
In a letter to the French presidency of the EU in January, BusinessEurope explained that it did not support the EU Commission’s proposed Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. It also advocated for carbon leakage protection for indirect and direct emissions and emphasised the need for “sufficient” free allocation of emission allowances in the EU Emissions Trading System. In addition, BusinessEurope stated that it did not support the proposed CO2 standards for light duty vehicles.
Trade associations Eurogas and Gas Infrastructure Europe signed a January 2022 joint letter supporting a weakening of the EU Commission's proposal for the sustainable finance taxonomy in its decision to include fossil gas. The groups also advocated for further amendments to recognize a greater role of fossil gas in the energy mix.
In a January 31st interview with S&P Global, AEP withheld support for the corporate alternative minimum tax in the Build Back Better Act but appeared to advocate for the passage of the Act’s climate provisions in a separate bill even if the reconciliation bill fails in the Senate.
The Clean Energy Council (CEC) advocated for the Tasmanian government to phase-out fossil gas use in the state by 2030 to match its net zero target and pushed for rapid electrification in its consultation submission on the Future Gas Strategy.
Euractiv reported in January 2022 that trade association, Eurogas, welcomed the EU Commission’s Sustainable Finance Taxonomy draft proposal that included fossil gas and nuclear power, and advocated for a higher initial threshold for electricity generation of 350g CO2/kWh to enable the inclusion of fossil gas technologies.
The President of the Federation of German Industries (BDI) adopted a mixed position on the introduction of carbon pricing in G7 states in a January 2022 press release, stating that the introduction should be gradual. The association did not support increasing the ambition of the EU Emissions Trading System in feedback to the EU Commission in November 2021, advocating for sustained free allowances and appearing not to support the inclusion of maritime emissions in the ETS.
In a press release, Confindustria presented business proposals to share at an Italian inter-ministerial roundtable designed to deal with EU energy prices, including supporting increasing domestic fossil gas production by 3bn cubic meters per year.
On January 12th, Southern testified in support of federal funding toward electric vehicle research and deployment before the US House Committee on Agriculture. In its testimony for the committee hearing on “Implications of Electric Vehicle Investments for Agriculture and Rural America,” the utility supported the electric vehicle investments in the bipartisan infrastructure bill and advocated for more funding toward electric vehicles.
Florida Senate Bill 1024, which aims to remove rooftop solar incentives and has been supported by NextEra subsidiary Florida Power & Light, was approved by the state Senate Regulated Industries Committee on January 11th. Previously in December, the Tampa Bay Times had reported on how Florida Power & Light had engaged with state policymakers to draft and introduce this piece of legislation.
The Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) published an open letter heavily criticizing the European Commission’s proposal to weaken the taxonomy regulation by allowing some natural gas to be considered ‘green’
In a December 2021 report, the European Round Table for Industry appeared to support the EU Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive, supporting an expanded role for zero-emissions hydrogen, EV charging and hydrogen refueling infrastructure.
In a December 2021 report, the European Round Table for Industry appeared to support a carbon border adjustment mechanism with caveats, urging "realism" on the intersection between emissions trading and adjustments.
Consolidated Edison released a Tweet on December 20th in support of New York Governor Hochul’s framework to achieve at least 10 gigawatts of distributed solar by 2030 in the state.
Speaking to the Financial Times, the Director General of Eurofer Axel Eggert did not support the EU Commission’s proposal for a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, and opposed the phase out of the free allocation of emissions allowances in the EU Emissions Trading System. He stated that “rather than CBAM greening the EU industry, it would shrink it.”
The US Chamber of Commerce, via the Global Energy Institute, appears to have joined oil and gas industry groups in opposition to the methane fee in the Build Back Better Act. A tweet from the Global Energy Institute’s Vice President for Policy appears to oppose the fee, referencing a discussion on methane hosted by the Global Energy Institute on December 2nd.
In a tweet following the publication of the first delegated act under the EU’s taxonomy regulation, BusinessEurope appeared to call for a weakening of the taxonomy to include gas and nuclear power generation. They stated that “Investments in all zero- and low-carbon energy sources and solutions necessary for the transition must now be integrated into the #taxonomy”
An ExxonMobil Lobbyist and vice president was recorded at the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission panel on November 9th stating: 'It's a strange deal for a scientist, but people are willing to pay a green premium. All around the world they're showing that they're willing to do that. Why are they doing that? That's another question. There's lots of markets that are - I mean people bought sugar free. There's all kinds of markets that are unhinged from hard facts. The way I look at it as a scientist is, all's I need to think about is, is there a risk. Yes, there's risk. Is it catastrophic inevitable risk? Not in my mind. But there's a risk.’] A spokesperson for ExxonMobil has stated that Oswald’s statements do not represent the company’s position on climate change, however, this is the second Exxon lobbyist to be recorded in 2021 contesting Exxonmobil’s public narrative of supporting the science of climate change and climate policies.
In a December 6th blog post, Trane Technologies advocated for “ambitious” energy efficiency targets toward building decarbonization in the U.S., writing that “policy and regulations addressing existing buildings and infrastructure must evolve, and soon.”
Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk, appeared to oppose the US Reconciliation Bill, including a new EV subsidy for zero-emission vehicle purchases, in a Reuters interview, stating "honestly, it might be better if the bill doesn't pass" and "I'm literally saying get rid of all subsidies".
In an opinion piece in The New Indian Express, the Director General of Confederation of Indian Industry supported Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pledges made at COP26 including the net-zero by 2070 and the 50% renewable energy by 2030 targets. The article stated the need for global technology transfer and support from multilateral climate funds for achieving India’s climate commitments, and expressed support for any “high-level announcements and commitments” for energy transition to be made in India’s upcoming Union budget announcement.
According to a News & Observer article on October 27, Duke Energy has not taken a position on North Carolina House Bill 220. The bill, which includes provisions to prevent local governments from banning gas in the building sector, passed through the state general assembly on November 29th and now awaits the governor’s signature. North Carolina is the 21st state in the country to pass this kind of pre-emptive legislation.
In a press release, it was unclear whether the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) supported Labor’s Powering Australia Plan. It acknowledged the increased greenhouse gas reduction target without expressing a position, but appeared to support the clarity the plan offered. Nevertheless, APPEA urged the need to attach conditions to the plan's ambition, such as policy must secure economic growth, and appeared to support provisions to protect trade-exposed industry, including the LNG sector. APPEA also appeared to advocate for the use of international credits in the Safeguard Mechanism, as well as stating the scheme should allow for the continued investment in oil and gas.
In a position paper on hydrogen the European Round Table for Industry appeared not to fully support the ‘additionality’ criteria for green hydrogen production in the EU Renewable Energy Directive, advocating that the EU should take a “pragmatic” approach so as not to lead to higher investment costs.
Stellantis CEO, Carlos Tavares, has opposed accelerating the electrification of transportation in an interview at the Reuters Next conference. Tavares argued that the EV cost burden is 'beyond the limits' for automakers, emphasizing the potential threat to jobs and industry. He also called on governments to shift the focus of climate policy toward cleaning up the energy sector, suggesting support for increased GHG emission reductions, but not in the autos industry.
In a LinkedIn post responding to the conclusion of the IMO’s marine environment protection committee, Maersk CEO Søren Skou called for the IMO to adopt “a drop-dead date to mark a future deadline for the building of fossil fuelled ships”
In a Wall Street Journal article, CenterPoint Energy appeared to oppose the proposed tax increases in the reconciliation bill but otherwise did not disclose a position on its climate provisions.
In an interview, Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary criticized climate policies imposing costs on intra-EU flights, while advocating for an EU jet fuel tax covering all international flights, with the exception that other climate-related regulations are then removed, as the only way for long-haul airlines to pay their fair share in taxes.
In response to the EU Commission’s request for input on the energy intensive industries’ transition pathways working document, the International Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers (IFIEC) stressed the importance of the continuation of carbon leakage protection measures, and supported compensation for indirect costs for energy intensive industry. The association also advocated for incentives instead of mandatory schemes to scale up breakthrough technologies, and supported reform to the Trans-European Netform for Energy (TEN-E) regulation.
EU industry associations, including the International Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers (IFIEC), FuelsEurope and Eurofer, published a joint position paper supporting the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism alongside the continuation of existing carbon leakage protection measures under the EU Emissions Trading System until at least 2030, and also advocated for export rebates.
Toyota’s CEO, Akio Toyoda, in a speech to journalists in Japan promoted a long-term global role for ICE vehicles, stating that “the enemy is carbon, not internal combustion engines”.
Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher was reported by The Guardian to have supported the National Gas Infrastructure Plan that was released this week (26th November), which includes the development of at least one new gas basin in the country. He stated that 'The scarcity of new developments on the east coast is frightening' and failure to unlock new domestic gas supplies in Australia would lead to increased imports.
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) welcomed the UK Government’s new regulation requiring new buildings and those undergoing renovation to have electric vehicle charge points installed, describing it in a press release as “exactly the kind of detail we need to drive the necessary investment for a high-growth economy”.
In a join position paper, Federation of German Industries (BDI), Confindustria and The Mouvement des entreprises de France (MEDEF) supported the EU's carbon border adjustment mechanism but with major exceptions, advocating for the continuation of existing carbon leakage protection measures under the EU ETS with no phase out, and also supporting export rebates.
According to Euractiv, Hydrogen Europe criticized the inclusion of numerous fossil gas projects in the projects of common (PCI) list within the EU’s TEN-E regulation revision. However, the association did appear to recognize the importance of fossil gas projects that can convert to hydrogen for decarbonization and energy security purposes.
Eurelectric released a reaction paper to the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive revision, in which the group stated support for higher ambition in the 2030 targets. However, the association highlighted concerns with the implementation of the additionally principle, geographical and temporal correlation, and the repeated strengthening of biomass sustainability criteria.
During African Energy Week in November 2021, Sasol's Senior Vice President for Gas Sourcing and Operations, Akash Latchman, stated "gas should play quite a significant role in a just energy transition in South Africa", citing the need to alleviate energy poverty. This follows the announcement at COP26 that South Africa would receive $8.5bn to phase-out coal in the energy mix as part of the country’s just transition.
Cefic released a position paper detailing its position on the EU Commission’s proposed reform to the Effort Sharing Regulation, advocating for higher ambition in order to reduce the burden of emissions reductions for sectors covered by the EU Emissions Trading System.
The Confederation of British Industry’s Director-General Tony Danker stated support in a press release for the progress made at COP26 and suggesting that more must be done to strengthen Nationally Determined Contributions and reduce coal use.
A Wall Street Journal article reported on Cummins’ support for the Build Back Better Act. A spokesperson for Cummins stated that, like its industry groups, the company does not support the pay-for provisions in the bill. However, its support for the climate provisions far outweighs its concern over the tax hikes, driving the company to distance itself from its trade groups and endorse the bill overall.
The International Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers (IFIEC) released a position paper advocating against most of the EU Commission’s Fit for 55 proposal for reforms to the EU Emissions Trading System, and supported the Carbon Border Mechanism Proposal only as a complement to existing carbon leakage protection measures until at least 2030 and suggesting that it should include measures to compensate exporters.
Valero Energy tweeted the claim that a “renewable diesel” vehicle emits less than electric vehicles, mirroring its arguments in its Social Responsibility Report that electric vehicles are unsustainable.
European power sector trade groups Eurelectric and WindEurope have come out in support of a new pact, of over 40 countries, formed at COP 26 who have pledged to phase out coal power.
Leslie Arnold, Head of International Relations and Public Policy in BHP’s Washington office, advocated for the climate provisions under the US infrastructure bill and reconciliation proposals, to support investments in zero-carbon electricity.
In its press release, Iberdrola stated support for political action and a more ambitious approach to the renewing of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) as part of the Paris Agreement.
Eskom CEO, Andre de Ruyter, appeared to support a shift from coal to renewables in South Africa’s energy mix, saying it “makes a lot of economic sense”. This marks a shift in position by Eskom, following the announcement at COP26 that South Africa would receive $8.5bn to phase-out coal. State-owned utility Eskom had previously lobbied in favor of a continued role for coal, which represents 90% of the energy mix in SA
There was broad support for Australia’s net zero ‘plan’ that was finally confirmed this week. The countries top fossil fuel association, APPEA, supported the target but also stressed that increased natural gas exploration would be required to achieve it. The government has not updated its NDC’s for 2030 which are considerable lower compared to similar nations, and only the Ai Group and Clean Energy Council stressed the need for the Australian government to set a higher NDC.
In a position paper published in October 2021, CEMBUREAU did not seem to support several proposed reforms to EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) mechanisms as it stressed the risk of carbon leakage. It also advocated for the expansion of ETS credits to CCUS and waste incineration.
In another position paper also published in October 2021, CEMBUREAU advocated against the reduction or removal of existing carbon leakage protection measures in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) until a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) is “fully watertight.” It also supported export rebates in the policy, but was in favor of including indirect emissions in the CBAM.
Several trade associations, including CEFIC, CEPI, COGEN Europe, IFIEC, SolarPower Europe and Wind Europe, released a joint statement to EU policymakers, demanding affordable clean energy be placed at the forefront of European Industry. The groups called for measures to support access to energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions, while declaring its support to the EU’s Green Deal ambitions to reach climate neutrality by 2050.
According to an Energy Live News article, E.ON have stated support for the suspension of green taxes in response to soaring energy prices across Europe. Within the UK, green taxes are applied to energy bills to help fund the transition to low-carbon heating solutions, such as heat pumps.
According to E&E News, Senator Joe Manchin met two weeks ago with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and utilities AEP, DTE, Duke, Exelon, PSEG, and Southern Company. E&E News confidential sources stated that the Clean Electricity Performance Program was mentioned but that the companies did not negotiate over details. News of this private meeting arrived as infrastructure talks continue and the CEPP is in danger of being cut from the reconciliation bill.
The Business Council of Australia pledged its support for a greenhouse gas reduction target of 46-50% by 2030. This marks a change of tune from the association, having described a 45% target as 'economy wrecking 'back in 2018. However, the energy minister Angus Taylor quickly rejected this call and likened it to a carbon tax.
In a press release in October 2021, the VCI advocated for the removal of Germany’s renewable electricity levy (EEG) as it stressed that electricity prices are too high for industry to achieve the 2045 climate target. It also stated that “additional or higher burdens must be reliably compensated.”
Eurogas have lauded the weakening of the EU’s TEN-E regulation in a Euractiv article, stating support for the EU parliament’s position to make major exceptions to underpin the role of fossil gas through a continuation of PCI status for fossil gas infrastructure projects, and support for hydrogen blending with fossil gas until 2029.
A US industry group, American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), last week https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1442918523412443136 tweeted support of several House representatives who stated opposition of the methane fee and clean energy standard provisions in Build Back Better Act.
LyondellBasell, in a press release last week, stated support for the need for public policy to respond to climate change and for policies to establish a “fair, global carbon price”, to promote renewable energy and to support energy infrastructure development and new carbon-reducing technologies.
Enel have called for the expansion of renewable energy as a solution to tackling rising gas prices in a series of posts on Twitter.
Public Services Enterprise Group (PSEG) CEO Ralph Izzo expressed support for a carbon tax in an interview with Forbes last week. Utility Dive also reported on Izzo’s support for the proposed Clean Electricity Performance Program, which is being considered in the budget reconciliation bill.
In a press release this week, the Director General of the VCI Wolfgang Große Entrup stated opposition to the EU’s Energy Efficiency Target, asserting that fossil free technologies use more energy than fossil fuels.
Toyota has written a letter to the US House Ways and Means Committee opposing proposed US purchase tax credits on electric vehicles, arguing that the “exorbitant” tax breaks would benefit the wealthy and “electric cars shouldn’t just be for rich people”. Toyota’s key opposition to the bill arises from its proposal to provide larger tax credits to union-made electric vehicles. It is also opposed by Honda and Tesla.
Industry associations Advanced Energy Economy and Solar Energy Industries Association, along with utilities Vistra and Exelon, have expressed support for the recently passed Illinois energy bill which requires a 100% zero-emissions power sector by 2045 and raises the renewable energy requirement to 50% by 2040.
The European Steel Association, Eurofer, has stated opposition to the inclusion of a GHG emissions standard in the Industrial Emissions Directive alongside regulating emissions of other pollutants in an article by Eurometal. The association stressed that it would cause double regulation as GHG emissions are already covered by the EU ETS, and would be a “command and control” element of the IED.
Confindustria criticized the EU ETS, calling for an intervention at EU level to address speculation in the market, blaming this and gas prices for a recent rise in energy prices.
The International Chamber of Shipping has submitted a proposal to the IMO to support a global carbon levy on shipping emissions, without clearly endorsing a specific carbon price. A media report from The Telegraph suggests the ICS proposal intends to push back against more ambitious EU proposals to include shipping in the EU ETS.
WindEurope, alongside several German power trade groups, has urged the next German government to actively support the EU Commission’s “Fit-for-55” proposal in the upcoming negotiations on it in the EU Council of Ministers in a press release on its website.
A Handelsblatt article on the German election contrasted cross-party support for the EU CBAM with opposition from trade associations, quoting the Federation of German Industries (BDI) who oppose a CBAM, arguing that it is not an alternative to free allowances under the EU ETS.
Several UK utilities have welcomed the government’s Hydrogen Strategy announcement. National Grid and SSE released statements of general high-level support on Twitter, whilst Centrica’s CEO expressed support for the strategy in the company’s blog.
The Federation of German Industries (BDI) questioned the feasibility of the German Green Party's proposed 100 day climate program, and opposed its proposals to bring forward Germany's coal phase-out date to 2030 as unnecessary and unnecessarily expensive. Separately, its Director General expressed support for the Paris Agreement goals and advocated for a rapid expansion of renewable energy.
ArcelorMittal has published a Climate Action Report in which it advocates for policies to decarbonize the steel sector, emphasizing the importance of government support and carbon contracts for difference, along with facilitating the production of green hydrogen. However, the report supported the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism as a complementary measure to EU ETS free allocation until it is fully effective and which should allow companies to pass through costs. It also supported indirect cost compensation in the EU ETS.
Several energy and utility entities signed the Global Wind Energy Council’s open letter to G20 and world leaders, which called for greater emphasis on renewable energy to combat climate change. The letter stated support for renewable policy and regulatory frameworks, effective carbon pricing, and a ban on new investment in coal power.
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) pushed Northern Ireland to increase its climate ambition and implement policy to be able to meet the UK's net zero by 2050 target. As part of its consultation response, the CBI advocated for more ambitious renewable energy targets, and a range of measures to boost energy efficiency. It did, however, support an expansion of natural gas as an interim heating decarbonization option.
Various EU industry associations, including BusinessEurope, CEMBUREAU, IFIEC and Eurofer published positions on the EU’s Fit for 55 package last week, taking similar stances on several key policies. The groups advocated for the package to support industrial decarbonization with state support for breakthrough technologies. However, the groups did not support reforms to the EU ETS, some advocating for increased carbon leakage protection, and were negatively positioned on the CBAM and denounced its lack of export rebates. Eurofer did not support reforms to the RED to make the legislation binding. However, Cefic’s leadership team released notably positive, yet limited, statements on the package, supporting renewable energy legislation and the reform to the ETS that mandates that all revenues should contribute to emissions reductions.
The European Roundtable for Industry (ERT) released a position paper in June 2021 which did not support various upcoming proposals in the Fit for 55 package, including reforms to the EU ETS. The association supported a CBAM alongside existing carbon leakage protection measures with a ‘gradual transition to a post-2030 framework’ and advocated that reforms to the Energy Taxation Directive should not cause additional costs. It also advocated for the removal of levies on electricity.
BDI advocated that the incumbent German party’s manifesto proposal to increase carbon prices risks carbon leakage unless protection measures are adequate.
International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) stated strong opposition to new EU proposals to include shipping in the EU ETS, arguing it is only an “ideological revenue raising exercise”. Instead, ICS advocates that long-delayed, and far less stringent global regulations on shipping are appropriate.
A cross-industry joint letter addressed to European Commission President von der Leyen and Executive Vice President Commissioner Timmermans has advocated for a large-scale acceleration in renewable energy capacity in Europe. The letter called for a scale-up in renewable energy to meet the EU’s Green Deal climate objectives, and also contained signatures from numerous members of the European Parliament.
Meeting minutes from May 2021, accessed through FOIs, reveal that BusinessEurope has been lobbying the European Commission to weaken corporate disclosure requirements under the taxonomy. In a meeting with DG FISMA, minutes show that BusinessEurope lobbied for weaker standards, raising concern about the “granularity and scope” of the obligations. In a separate meeting with Ursula von der Leyen’s office, BusinessEurope called for a delay to implementation and questioned the legal basis of aspects of the policy.
Eurogas have released a position paper on carbon pricing, in which it advocated for preferential treatment for fossil gas in the EU’s Energy Taxation Directive revision. The association expressed support for the role of fossil gas in the energy mix, highlighting the need for fossil gas when switching away from coal, without placing clear conditions on CCS or methane emission abatement. Eurogas also supported blending of fossil gas with low-carbon gases, whilst supporting tax exemptions for renewable, decarbonized and low-carbon gases without clear definitions on what is included in these terms and without being clear about the source or the extent to which CCS will accompany them.
Lufthansa have signed a joint letter coordinated by Transport & Enviornment urging the EU to adopt e-kerosene mandates of 0.5%-1% for 2027 and 2.5% for 2030. This suggests an evolving, more positive position for Lufthansa, who in 2021 previously emphasized competitiveness concerns in private emails with EU policymakers around a sustainable aviation fuels mandate.
BDI Director-General Siegfried Russwurm continues to not support Germany’s new 2045 climate neutrality target, questioning the rationale for it being set and raising economic concerns around its achievability.
Both APPEA and Woodside submitted comments to the Inquiry into the prudential regulation of investment in Australia’s export industries, with Woodside warning against any restriction on capital on LNG would be detrimental to Australia’s long-term interests. While APPEA stated that Australia’s natural gas resources need to be developed to deliver on it’s Paris Agreement commitments, and added that substantial amounts of capital would be required to do so which is placed under risk by ‘incomplete information and a lack of understanding of the opportunity Australia can play, or of the negative impact constraining that capital will have on our ability to meet those objectives’ and that ‘information asymmetry by the broader finance sector, fuelled by the political agendas of shareholder activists, risks creating a capital drought’.
EDF stated support for strong EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) reforms in a opinion piece published in Euractiv (https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/opinion/how-an-ambitious-and-rapid-reform-of-the-eu-ets-is-essential-to-achieve-the-new-climate-objectives/). The company suggested the EU ETS should be aligned with the EU’s 2030 GHG emission reduction target by advocating for a higher Linear Reduction Factor (LRF), a strengthened Market Stability Reserve (MSR), and the introduction of a carbon price floor to increase the scheme’s effectiveness. EDF also stated support for the extension of the EU ETS to the maritime sector, and a pragmatic approach to either include road transport and buildings, or a new scheme for each of the respective sectors.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, American Chemistry Council, and American Petroleum Institute submitted a joint comment to the EPA on June 14th strongly opposing the repeal of a measure, first introduced under the Trump administration, requiring a cost-benefit analysis of Clean Air Act regulations. Its repeal removes a barrier to future greenhouse gas emissions regulation. The trade groups urged the EPA to at least consider revising the rule rather than scrapping it entirely, a view lobbied by the Chamber in its own comment submitted several days prior.
In an open letter published on 9 June 2021, CEOs of over 70 companies, including BASF, Enel, Engie, H&M, Siemens, and Ericsson, urged world leaders to strengthen climate policies to accelerate the transition before COP26 and beyond. They called for the governments to remove fossil fuel subsidies, to phase out coal, to support and strengthen emissions trading regime, and to implement interim emissions targets in line with the 1.5C pathway.
Edison Electric Institute, the trade association representing investor-owned utilities in the US, has joined up with several NGOs and the Clean Air Task Force to launch the Carbon-Free Technology Initiative. The collaboration will advocate for research, development, demonstration and deployment of a range of technology solutions, including advanced wind and solar energy systems, energy storage, hydrogen, nuclear, and carbon capture and storage. Its launch statement notes the importance of public policies to facilitate their priorities.
The US Chamber of Commerce authored a blog post highlighting areas of potential collaboration and disagreement between the US and the EU. One issue of concern for the Chamber is the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) which, if specifically targeting US exports, could have a “chilling effect on prospects for transatlantic cooperation on climate.” The statement could indicate opposition to the CBAM and is one of the few times the Chamber has weighed in on specific carbon pricing policy, despite recently communicating broad support for the approach.
In a letter from the President and Director General of BusinessEurope to the European Council President, the association advocated for fair burden sharing with ETS sectors in regards to the upcoming Effort Sharing Regulation, as the Council and therefore all member states are meeting this week to discuss national targets. The letter did not support national carbon levies, stressing double regulation due to the ETS, and supported the continuation of free allocation of emissions allowances. Meanwhile, BusinessEurope also wrote a letter to the Chairman of the European Competitiveness Council advocating that it must “secure industrial competitiveness in the “Fit-for-55” package.”
The B7 group of cross-sector associations has released a joint statement after a summit, which recommends policy actions for the G7, including setting a target to phase out unabated coal in power generation, where feasible by 2040 and coordinating action on market-based mechanisms such as carbon pricing.
Sourced from an FOI request, in February 2021 several corporations or their regional subsidiaries including Exxon, LyondellBasell, Air Products, Tata Steel, BP, and Dow emailed Vice-President Timmermans’ cabinet opposing a national carbon tax in the Netherlands, and requested that he intervene.
Both the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association (APGA) and Santos have stated their support for the National Gas Infrastructure Plan (NGIP)interim report that was released this week). The NGIP is a proposed taxpayer-funded scheme being developed by the Federal Government to build new gas pipelines, and is a major part of the Morrison governments ‘Gas-Fired Recovery’.
The Edison Electric Institute, among other entities including some oil and gas companies, has supported the congressional push to reinstate Obama-era methane standards. Approval of this resolution would repeal Trump’s repeal and allow the Biden administration to consider additional, potentially stricter methane regulations in the future.
Handelsblatt reported that the President of the VCI called the Green Party’s Manifesto an “ice bucket for growth” at a conference in Germany. He did not seem to support increasing Germany’s 2030 target, opposing the proposed 70% increase and stating "Anyone who raises climate protection targets so far that they can only be achieved with the greatest sacrifice is sinning against the present and the future." He also did not support increasing the carbon price of the German ETS or implementing a carbon tax.
The American Gas Association appears to have strongly supported the decision by the International Code Council to remove the right for local governments to vote on future energy-efficiency standards in building codes. This will give industry a much tighter control over energy efficiency requirements and comes a year after large numbers of local officials voted in ICC proceedings in late 2019 to bring in much more ambitious efficiency standards. AGA appear to have opposed these ambitious standards
There is an increasing trend of regional authorities across the US enacting measures to encourage new buildings to be fully electrified, for example, by banning new builds from having natural gas hookups. This appears to have triggered a backlash from utility and oil & gas trade associations, including the American Gas Association. In March 2020, AGA CEO Karen Harbert wrote an open letter appearing to oppose such bans saying the “call for California to ban natural gas hookups in new residential construction is dead wrong”, and in the same month, it was reported that the AGA was “coordinating and lobbying” in ten different states for bills intended to ban local governments from enacting legislation that would restrict natural gas in buildings in this way.
The metals trade associations in Europe have lobbied heavily on the carbon border adjustment mechanism in the same week as the European Parliament’s vote on the policy. Eurofer’s Director General strongly supported the implementation of a CBAM alongside existing carbon leakage measures in the EU ETS, and Eurometaux’s Director General seemed to advocate against the inclusion of the non-ferrous metals industry in the CBAM, and not supporting the phase out of carbon leakage measures under the EU ETS.
The CEO Climate Dialogue wrote a letterto President Biden expressing support for (and urging contingent action towards) an ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution in line with a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions economy by 2050. Highlights of policy recommendations include near and mid-term emissions targets and a national economy-wide carbon price. The letter broadly advocates for market-based, technology neutral, and competition-fostering policies to aid the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Together with over fifty utilities, energy companies, and associations, the American Gas Association (AGA) sent a joint letter dated May 2nd to the federal House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development advocating for increased research and development funding toward fossil gas in the Fiscal Year 2023 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill. Among other provisions to secure the long-term role of fossil gas, the letter requested for federal research investments toward “lower-carbon” fuels in buildings and natural gas vehicles. Signatories included AGA CEO Karen Harbert, DTE Energy CEO Jerry Norica, and National Fuel Gas Company CEO David P. Bauer.
In a 5th May 2022 press release, Wintershall Dea, a subsidiary of BASF, supported diversifying the European energy mix away from dependency on Russian fossil fuels by advocating for investment in domestic fossil gas production in Norway, suggesting that the fuel is ‘clean’ without placing conditions on the use of CCS. In another press release on the same day, Wintershall Dea supported new infrastructure in Algeria that will lock in unabated fossil gas, whilst supporting renewable energy and climate-friendly hydrogen in the long-term.
In May 2022, Politico Pro reported that BMW CEO and ACEA Chair, Oliver Zipse, had sent a letter to French President Macron urging to delay introducing an EU zero-emissions CO2 target for vehicles from 2035 to 2040 and calling for the final decision to be delayed until 2028, opposing an EU phase-out of ICE-powered light-duty vehicles until 2040.
Francesco Starace, CEO of Italian utility Enel, appeared to support new re-gasification infrastructure in Europe in a 5th May interview with CNBC. Starace did, however, suggest the bulk of infrastructure spending should remain on accelerating renewable energy and phasing out fossil fuels.
In a 4th May position paper, Gas Infrastructure Europe advocated for new LNG infrastructure and promoted the role of unabated fossil gas to displace coal power. The group also called for more LNG imports to diversify the European energy mix away from Russian fossil fuels, while also supporting fast tracking renewable hydrogen projects and imports.
In an April 28th CNN article on Senator Manchin and the possibility of a stand-alone climate package, American Electric Power (AEP) CEO Nick Akins did not take a clear position on the climate provisions of the Build Back Better Act and stated that any energy bill will be “a very difficult proposition to get through.” The article stated that Akins is “close to Manchin”, suggesting that Akins may be directly engaging with the Senator during renewed talks on the legislation.
On the 3rd May, Director General of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) and the CEO of Hydrogen Europe signed a joint letter calling for more ambitious alternative fuels infrastructure targets in the EU to allow for the rapid uptake of zero-emission vehicles. This included ambitious mandatory TEN-T targets from 2025 at the latest, and for the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) to set minimum requirements for the establishment of a comprehensive and interconnected network of alternative fuels infrastructure across the EU.
On the 29th April, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) hosted a meeting of member companies with the Head of the Presidential Transition Committee, Ahn Cheol-soo. The KCCI member companies asked the new government to provide ‘institutional support’ to industry for climate policy, but also asked that ‘businesses are not regulated’ under carbon neutrality policy.
In an opinion piece for Euractiv, published on the 29th April, Eurofer Director General Axel Eggert cited the war as justification for slowing down the EU Commission’s proposed phase out of free allowances in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) alongside the implementation of a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. Axel Eggert also did not support proposed reforms to the EU ETS to rebase the emissions cap and strengthen the Market Stability Reserve, stressing the impacts of a unilateral and high carbon price and international competitiveness. However, Eggert also advocated for the RePowerEU and Gas and Hydrogen Decarbonisation package to increase renewable electricity and green hydrogen since the war in Ukraine “undermined the possible role of gas as a transition fuel.”
In a position paper on the RePowerEU legislation, published on 20th April, Cembureau supported a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism in the EU, but did not support the EU Commission’s proposed phase out of the free allocation of emissions allowances in the EU Emissions Trading System from 2026, stressing the impacts of carbon leakage. However, it did advocate for the inclusion of indirect emissions.
On 26th April, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA) and the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) published a ’10 point action plan’ in response to the European Commission’s January 2022 document outlining its vision for a mobility transition in the EU. In it, the industry associations advocated for a "technology open" approach to achieving decarbonization, including promoting use of e-fuels, as well as arguing that de-fossilization of the mobility sector should take place in the mid- to long-term, as opposed to the short-term.
Marty Durbin, head of the Global Energy Institute at the US Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement to the Washington Post on April 19th that the Chamber opposed the Biden Administration’s decision to restore climate provisions under the National Environmental Policy Act. The changes would require consideration of climate impacts including “cumulative” impacts from GHG emissions in infrastructure reviews, a move which Durbin argued would result in “unnecessarily extensive and duplicative bureaucratic red tape.”
According to an April 21st article by Colorado Newsline, Advanced Energy Economy opposed the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission's decision to delay the Advanced Clean Trucks rulemaking until 2023. The postponement means that requirements for electrifying medium- and heavy-duty vehicles will not take effect until at least 2026.
In a 22nd April interview, Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill stated that Australia should consider reviving stalled mega fossil gas projects in the Timor Sea and Western Australia as the world moves away from Russian exports. She added ‘It’s no longer about the bottom line, it’s about doing what’s right’ and ‘demands from activists for oil and gas to “go away overnight” were not pragmatic’.
In an April 14th Globe Gazette news article, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation appeared unsupportive of California's proposal to increase the sales of zero-emission cars to 35% by 2026, arguing that it will be "extremely challenging even in California and may not be achievable in all the states that currently follow California’s program”.
In an April 14th E&E News article, a spokesperson for subsidiary Sempra Infrastructure supported the Biden administration’s decision to increase LNG exports to Europe in response to the crisis in Ukraine. The spokesperson also appeared to advocate for the long-term global role of LNG, stating that U.S. gas exports to Europe and Asia were “good for the world.”
In an EU public consultation response on 12th April, BusinessEurope advocated for shorter permitting processes for renewable energy plants and increased support for power purchase agreements in the reform of the Renewable Energy Directive and the RePowerEU initiative. However, the association also supported keeping concessions for energy-intensive industry, in the form of renewable energy levy reductions.
In a 13th April press release, WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson stated support for the UK’s Energy Strategy announcement, including its offshore wind energy targets. Dickson also advocated for more ambition to support onshore wind.
In an April 12th Washington Post article on the New York state budget, American Gas Association CEO Karen Harbert opposed any move to ban fossil gas in new buildings. Such a ban was initially included in the draft budget, but was subsequently cut in the final agreement.
Following the 7th April announcement of the UK Energy Strategy, E.ON UK’s CEO Michael Lewis criticized the strategy, demanding greater emphasis on energy efficiency measures to handle the current energy price crisis.
Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) has advocated for new LNG infrastructure on multiple occasions in April. Firstly, on April 5th in the EU Observer, GIE stated its April 2022 conference was aimed at supporting the creation of new LNG terminals. Additionally, in a 6th April social media post, the industry association supported the diversification of the European energy mix, by importing more LNG and building new LNG infrastructure
On the 10th of April, the Korea Petrochemical Industry Association (KPIA) appeared to oppose tariffs on imported crude oil for the Korean petrochemical sector and regulations on urban oil field projects. KPIA announced that it was ‘having practical discussions' with the Ministry of Economy and Finance to request exemptions for tariffs on imported crude oil, and support for easing regulations on urban oil field projects.
According to its April 4th lobbying reports, Xcel Energy has been supporting Colorado Senate Bill 22-193, the centerpiece of the Colorado Democrats’ legislative package to address air pollution and which contains a wide range of investments in clean energy, energy efficiency, and transport electrification.
In a March 31st memo, Consolidated Edison is supporting the building electrification proposals, including a possible gas ban, in the New York state draft budget. As reported by Politico on April 4th, Avangrid and National Grid have not supported the proposals. Both companies are funders of New Yorkers for Affordable Energy, an advocacy group that is running television ads to generate opposition against any limits on gas in buildings. Other supporters of this coalition, as listed on the website ny4affordableenergy.com include Enbridge, Dominion Energy, Williams Companies, and API New York. The budget negotiations have passed their usual April 1st deadline and are still continuing between Governor Hochul and the state legislature.
In a report published on 25th March, the Confederación Española de Organizaciones Empresariales (CEOE) did not seem to support the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, stressing risks of carbon leakage and impacts on competitiveness if the free allocation of emissions allowances are phased out quickly, and advocated for export rebates.
In a stakeholder event on the FuelEU Maritime initiative on 22nd March, BusinessEurope did not appear to support the policy and suggested that over-regulation would cause carbon leakage due to proposals to reform the EU Energy Taxation Directive and EU Emissions Trading System.
In his letter to shareholders released on April 4th, J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon called for the US to increase oil and gas production to shore up energy security in the midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) released a statement of response on March 31st to the Biden Administration's release of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. In this statement, AFPM called for increasing US oil and gas production, pipeline/transportation infrastructure, and refining capacity.
On April 5th, The Hankyoreh reported that Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA) Chairman Jung Man-ki appeared to oppose the regulation of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle production, instead calling for more incentive-oriented government policies such as investments in electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
On March 30th, Hyundai Motor Group’s Brussels Office tweeted in favor of increased ambition for the EU’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR). Hyundai Motor cited research which found that double the number of public charging points in the EU Commission’s AFIR proposal would be needed in order to reach 55% CO2 reduction of passenger vehicles.
As reported by the Public Broadcasting Service on March 24th, the American Gas Association (AGA) filed a legal challenge to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) February 2022 pipeline policy update, in which climate change impacts would be considered when reviewing new interstate gas pipelines. FERC has since rolled back this updated policy and decided that it will not be applied until further review. AGA has responded to this shift, stating that it was an “encouraging” development.
On March 28th, a joint Airports Council International Europe (ACI-Europe) and European Regions Airline Association press release promoted a report prepared for the EU airline industry that advocated against a low-carbon modal shift from air to rail, emphasizing the environmental impact of rail over air travel. The report further advocated against short-haul flight bans in Europe, arguing that a EU-ban on flights of less than 500km would only result in “a reduction of less than 1% of EU transportation emissions”.
On the 21st of March, America’s Power released a blog post in which it opposed the Biden administration’s target of a carbon-free power sector by 2035. The organization stated that the goal is “unrealistic”, and that integrating renewables and battery storage into the US power sector would make energy less reliable and more expensive.
In a March 24th report by EcoBusiness, the World Coal Association (WCA) stated that the world still needs coal, particularly in the context of the current energy crisis spurred by the conflict in Ukraine. The association also supported the use of ‘clean coal’, plus WCA CEO Michelle Manook said that the transition to clean sources of power should include “all fuel and technologies”. Manook also said that COP26 reinforced coal’s role in the energy transition.
In a letter to the Chair of the EU Environment Council on 16th March, BusinessEurope opposed energy efficiency legislation (e.g. Energy Efficiency Directive), arguing against “formulating energy efficiency goals in terms of absolute reduction of energy consumption”, and suggesting that they should focus on optimizing energy intensity.
As reported by Nikkei, at a regular press conference on March 22nd, Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) Chairman Masakazu Tokura, also Chairman of Sumitomo Chemical, stated that “we should seriously consider the effective use of nuclear power generation" in response to the recent tight supply and demand of electricity and in light of Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, emphasizing the importance of nuclear power toward realizing the target of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
On 19th of March, the CEO of BMW, and current chair of EU automotive association ACEA, Oliver Zipse, publicly urged the EU to delay its proposed zero-emissions 2035 CO2 target for cars and vans, which effectively phases out new ICE car sales, until “2040 at the earliest” according to a Politico article. He further urged policymakers to delay finalizing a decision on a zero-emissions target date until later this decade, instead of 2022.
In a March 18th press release, Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) CEO Dierdre Michie voiced support for Boris Johnson’s warning that it would be ‘crazy’ to shut down North Sea oil and gas production. She also stated that an increase in oil and gas investments would help the UK transition to net zero.
On the 18th March, several transport and energy sector trade associations including Eurelectric, WindEurope, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), and the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA) released a joint statement calling for higher ambition in the EU’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR). The statement also supported measures to develop EV infrastructure in the AFIR revision, and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).
On the 8th March, Reuters reported that Enel has advocated for two additional LNG terminals to help diversify the Italian energy mix, and reduce the dependence on Russian fossil gas.
In a report released on the 23rd February by the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources titled 'Global Resources Strategy Commodity Report: Liquefied Natural Gas', APPEA provided a two-page contribution titled 'Think LNG, Think Australia' where it promoted the role of LNG in Australia, citing the demand from Asia, stable investment environments and its contribution to 'cleaner' energy as reasons why Australia should invest in becoming an LNG exporter. It also adds that Australia should 'enhance' its ability to attract investment in its fossil gas projects.
As reported by E&E News on March 8th, NextEra subsidiary Florida Power & Light celebrated the passage of the contentious net metering bill which weakens incentives for rooftop solar in the state. Previous reporting in December 2021 revealed the subsidiary’s involvement in drafting and introducing the bill to the state Senate. Solar advocacy groups are now calling on Governor DeSantis to veto the bill.
Throughout the week of the 7th March, senior representatives of Confindustria called for the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) to be suspended in response to high energy prices. This advocacy included public statements from Confindustria President Carlo Bonomi on 9th March and the Director General Francesca Mariotti on 11th March in addition to the position being advocated directly to policymakers in an Italian Parliamentary Hearing on the 10th March.
On 9th March, Australian Mining reported that the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia supported the draft of a new bill titled the Greenhouse Gas Storage and Transport Bill. This bill aims to support the development of emission reduction technologies such as carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) and mineral carbonation in Western Australia.
Letters submitted to the Texas Municipal Advisory Council and accessed by InfluenceMap in January 2022 show evidence of Barclays, Citigroup, RBC, UBS, U.S. Bancorp, and Wells Fargo stating continued support for investing in fossil fuels. The letters certify that the institutions have pledged to not “boycott energy companies.”
In a March 3rd media release, Queensland Resources Council Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane called for the approval of the New Acland Mine Stage 3 project, which will expand this Queensland coal mine. Macfarlane stated that “the world, especially Europe, needs Queensland’s high-quality commodities now more than ever”, and that Queensland coal has a role to play in energy security.
On 8th March 2022, a Ford Motor senior executive, Bob Holycross, testified at a US Congress hearing held by the Subcommittee on Energy of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, directly advocating to policymakers to support the EV transition in the US, including measures such as an expansion in EV infrastructure. The testimony appeared to focus economic reasons for the transition, rather than the climate risk of inaction, warning that the US could be “outpaced by global competitors like China and Europe” if “US policies are not effective and efficient”, and highlighted the positive impact the transition would have on American jobs and business.
Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), American Clean Power Association (ACP), and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) filed a joint legal brief in January 2022, in which they advocated to the Supreme Court to uphold the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate GHG emissions from power plants. Despite the associations’ request that the petitions be dismissed, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case and oral arguments are currently being presented.
On February 28th, American Gas Association (AGA) responded to the Department of Energy’s Request for Information on Industrial Decarbonization in which it submitted its recent study on the role of gas infrastructure in achieving a net-zero future. In its response, AGA supported the transition from coal to fossil gas while advocating for the long-term role of gas and gas infrastructure.
In the last week of February 2022, the American Petroleum Institute (API) sent two letters to the US government calling for policy measures to incentivize expanded oil and gas production in the US and abroad.
The first letter, sent to the Secretary of Interior on February 24th, requested “clarity” on the Department of Interior’s response to the recent court order in Louisiana v. Biden, and suggested that “unwarranted delays in federal ‘permitting and leasing’” is the “wrong policy”.
The second letter was sent to the Secretary of Energy on February 28th and urged the administration to adopt “durable policies” that “promote America’s energy production and leadership”. The letter also proposed a set of policies for immediate implementation, including swift approval of all LNG applications, regular lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico, and energy investments around the world, particularly in Eastern Europe.
On 24th February 2022, a range of cross-sector EU industry associations, including the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA) and WindEurope, published a joint statement asking the EU Commission to assess the impact of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on downstream industries. The associations appeared not to fully support the CBAM, suggesting that it may cause carbon leakage if unspecified “necessary steps” are not taken, and appeared to support the Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) but stressed that unilateral action may also cause carbon leakage.
As reported by Politico on February 28th, the American Gas Association joined the American Public Gas Association and utility Spire in opposing federal energy efficiency standards. In a joint petition, the groups and companies opposed the U.S. Department of Energy December 2021 reversal of Trump-era standards and state that the final rule would “adversely affect” the associations’ members.
As reported in a March 1st Utility Dive article, a lawyer for a group of U.S. utilities that includes Consolidated Edison, Exelon, National Grid USA, and Pacific Gas and Electric, presented arguments in favor of the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate GHG emissions before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court began to hear arguments this week on a case that determines whether the EPA will be able to regulate GHG emissions from the power sector. A decision is expected this June.
On February 18th 2022, a tweet from Suncor stated the CEO Mark Little’s support for the TransMountain pipeline project in Canada. The tweet went to suggest that the 2021 British Columbia floods were a “reminder” of the “critical nature” of energy infrastructure to energy security in the province, as well as for global access to Canadian resources.
On the 24th February, in Recharge News, Hydrogen Europe CEO, Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, advocated against the additionality principle within the Delegated Act on renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO) within Renewable Energy Directive (RED) revision. Despite, the European Commission advocating for the additionality principle in its Fit for 55 proposal for the RED. The principle demands renewable energy capacity required for renewable hydrogen be met with new, and not existing, renewable energy capacity.
In a February 15th statement, Entergy recognized the recently released Louisiana Climate Action Plan, which aims to achieve 100% clean power by 2050, and did not elaborate further on how it disagreed with some of the plan’s methodologies. A state task force that included Entergy and other fossil fuel companies developed the plan over the past year and a half, and implementation is expected to begin in March.
The Global Energy Institute arm of the US Chamber of Commerce and the American Gas Association opposed a new ruling by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to consider the GHG emissions of fossil gas pipelines before they are approved, citing project delays and higher gas prices. As reported by Retuers, the rule marks the first time FERC has updated guidance on gas pipelines since 1999.
The Minerals Council of South Africa welcomed the extension of the first phase of SA’s carbon tax, extended by three years to the end of 2025. The first phase’s provisions include tax allowances for companies of 60-95% via rebates or exemptions. Companies in SA will benefit from three more years to reduce their overall emissions until at least 2026 while enjoying continued tax allowances.
In a press release, Confindustria welcomed a pending policy response by the Italian government to demands regarding national fossil gas production, supporting increased production as a way to respond to high gas prices. Although awaiting the final text, Confindustria appeared to have seen a draft approved by the Italian Council of Ministers.
In a letter to the Chair of the EU Competitiveness Council, BusinessEurope appeared to advocate against policies to scale up electric vehicles, instead promoting technology neutrality and investment in all low-carbon technology. It also did not support the EU’s proposed 2035 phase out for internal combustion engines.
The Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) CEO Andrew McConville called the decision by the NSW government to effectively ban offshore exploration as ‘really short-sighted’, adding that “A blanket ban on exploration and development of valuable resources without consultation with the industry and without reference to the already well-established regulatory framework is politically disappointing and policy light.”
In a February 9th C2ES letter to Congressional leadership, a group of companies, including ABB, BP, Daikin, DTE Energy, Edison International, Ford, HP Inc, LafargeHolcim, National Grid, Sales force, Shell, Trane Technologies, ArcelorMittal, CMS Energy, Cummins, DSM, Duke Energy, Entergy Corp, General Electric, Intel, Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), Schneider Electric, and Southern Company, advocated for the passage of the climate provisions in the Build Back Better Act. The companies specifically supported the clean energy tax credits and called for Congress to “overcome the present impasse.”
Following the utility CEO roundtable with President Biden at the White House on February 9th, EEI President Tom Kuhn sent out a press release advocating for the clean energy tax credits in the Build Back Better Act.
The Clean Energy Council, Iberdrola and Fortescue Metals Group all responded positively to the Australian Energy Market Operators consultation on the Integrated System Plan, a roadmap for the whole energy system, which includes a net zero by 2050 target in its remit. They each stated support for the most ambitious pathways that would result in net zero emissions in the energy sector being achieved by 2035 and coal being phased-out even sooner than expected.
In comments to the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) consultation on climate-related financial risks, the European Banking Federation (EBF) has argued for a more gradual implementation of the integration of ESG into prudential regulation, has suggested that more data is still needed on the impact of climate change, and also appeared to advocate against stress testing leading to changes in capital requirements.
A joint statement energy intensive industry, including the International Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers (IFIEC), CEMBUREAU, Eurofer, Eurometaux and FuelsEurope, supported the continuation of the free allcoation of emissions allowances in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) alongside a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) until at least 2030, and advocated for export rebates to be included.
In testimony to the US Senate Committee on Clean Hydrogen Air Liquide America advocated for policies to increase the production of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen to decarbonize heavy and light-duty vehicles and heavy industry in the United States.
In a February 2022 media piece, Fortum supported the EU commission's proposal to weaken the sustainable finance taxonomy by including fossil gas and appeared to advocate for the technical criteria to also be weakened to allow for more fossil gas projects to be included.
In a February 2022 press release, the Federation of German Industry (BDI) supported the EU decision to include fossil gas in the EU Sustainable Finance Taxonomy.
The German Chemical Industry Association’s (VCI) Director General Wolfgang Große Entrup supported unabated fossil gas as a transition technology in a press release. He was in favor of the removal of short-term targets in the EU Taxonomy, appearing to call the Commission’s draft a “cloud cuckoo land of intermediate goals.”
In its February Newsletter, BusinessEurope’s Director General Markus J. Beyrer advocated for changes to the Fit for 55 package, seeming to suggest it should balance ambition with competitiveness. A senior executive also was unsupportive of the EU Commission’s proposed reforms to the EU Emissions Trading System, supporting the continuation of carbon leakage protection measures such as free allocation until 2030 and beyond.
Santos has become the first company in the world to ‘book’ CO2 storage capacity from its new Moomba CCS project, with Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher stating that CCS is a ‘critical technology’ needed to achieve global emissions goals. Santos will also be eligible to sell carbon credits generated from Moomba CCS back to the federal government, or to the private market.
In a February 2022 press release, CEO Ian Macfarlane stated that the Queensland Resources Council is engaging with the State Government to support coal and gas under Queensland’s draft Resources Industry Development Plan (RIDP), alongside new technologies such as hydrogen and ammonia. The RIDP, currently under consultation, sets out a vision for Queensland’s resources industry over the next 30 years.
API is reported to be opposing a measure designed to discourage the instillation of gas-fired boilers in larger buildings in New Jersey, according to Politico.
In the January 20th hearing on California Senate Bill 260, CalChamber and a coalition of unnamed organizations testified in opposition to the bill. SB 260, or the Climate Corporate Accountability Act, would require U.S.-based companies that do business in California and with revenues in excess of $1 billion to annually report their direct and indirect GHG emissions to the Secretary of State. Despite the CalChamber’s opposition, the bill passed in the state Senate.
In a letter to the Senate Banking Committee, the Chamber raised concerns about the Nomination of Sarah Bloom Raskin to the Federal Reserve on the basis of her opinions around integrating climate risk into policy
In a joint statement in January 2022, energy intensive industries including CEMBUREAU, Eurofer and Eurometaux did not support the proposed phase out of free allocation of emissions allowances in the EU Emission Trading System alongside a carbon border adjustment mechanism, advocating for maintenance of both measures til at least 2030, and supported the inclusion of an export rebate. They also did not support proposed EU ETS reforms to reduce the free allocation of emissions allowances before 2030.
BusinessEurope met with the EU parliament rapporteur on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism in January, and did not seem to support the EU Commission’s or rapporteur’s proposals on the policy. The association stated that a CBAM must prove its effectiveness before it can replace current carbon leakage protection measures in the EU Emissions Trading System.
In a January 2022 joint letter, several EU utilities, including EDF, Enel, Engie, and Iberdrola, stated support for measures designed to develop the solar PV industry and transition the energy mix to a greater share of renewable energy.
The American Property Casualty Insurance Insurance Association stated opposition to a California bill that would require insurance companies to disclose investments in and underwriting of fossil fuel-related entities and would authorize the insurance commissioner to prohibit or restrict fossil fuel-related investments and underwriting. A spokesman for the organization called the California bill “unnecessary and potentially dangerous.”
The Australian Petroleum and Production and Exploration Association, or APPEA, stated that natural gas and blue hydrogen should be the centrepiece of this year’s Australian budget, claiming an investment allowance for fossil projects, tax incentives and new technology can unlock the path to net zero emissions by 2050.
Reuters have reported that Lufthansa and Air France have joined an industry alliance that has called for the EU to reject a kerosene tax as part of its Fit for 55 package.
According to a January 20th article by S&P Global, EEI President Tom Kuhn advocated for the long-term role of fossil gas in the energy mix. In statements during the US Energy Association’s State of the Energy Industry Forum, Kuhn was reported to support the use of gas in achieving emissions reductions.
In a January 2022 European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) press release, Volvo Group CEO, Martin Lundstedt, appeared to support the electrification of road freight transport, calling for ambitious targets for truck-specific infrastructure in the proposed Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR).
In a January 2022 Euractiv media report, Stellantis CEO, Carlos Tavares appeared to oppose the EU's strategy to phase out combustion engines in favor of electric vehicles, arguing that "electrification is a technology chosen by politicians, not by industry." He added there were cheaper and faster ways of reducing carbon emissions and emphasized the social risk created by the "brutality of this change."
In a January 6th article by Pew Charitable Trusts, Utah state representative Steve Handy stated that Dominion had asked him to introduce a bill to ban gas bans in the state. The bill was unnamed in the source, but Representative Handy had sponsored Utah House Bill 0017, the gas ban preemption bill which was passed and signed into law in February 2021.
Comment letters released in January 2022 show that the US Chamber, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Investment Company Institute, State Street Global Advisors, and Fidelity are among several trade associations and companies that asked the Biden administration’s Department of Labor to weaken language and remove references to ESG considerations from proposed “Prudence and Loyalty” regulation. The proposal reverses Trump-era guidance that sought to limit ESG investing and rollback shareholder rights.
In a December 2021 report, the European Round Table for Industry appeared to support the Renewable Energy Directive with minor exceptions, supporting guarantees of origin without clearly stating just for renewable hydrogen, and advocating for a large range of feedstocks to be compatible in the directive.
In a January 4th press release, EEI President Tom Kuhn advocated for Congress to pass the clean energy tax credits in the proposed U.S. reconciliation bill. This support arrives in a moment when the Build Back Better Act negotiations have been renewed, especially with Senator Manchin appearing to support the bill’s climate provisions earlier this week.
In a December 20th press release, Edison Electric Institute President Tom Kuhn supported the Environmental Protection Agency’s finalized GHG emissions standards for light-duty vehicles.
A position paper, coordinated by Verband der Chemischen Industrie’s platform Chemistry4Climate, which includes over 70 stakeholders in the chemical industry, supported coordinating energy and climate policy in Germany to achieve the 2045 climate neutrality target. However, the paper advocated for carbon leakage protection measures in the EU Emissions Trading System and Germany’s emissions trading scheme. It also supported exemptions and caps on renewable energy levies for the chemical industry, but was in favor of increasing the 2030 Renewable Energy Target in Germany.
The Business Roundtable is officially opposing the Build Back Better Act due to its tax increases, despite supporting its climate provisions in principle. CEO Joshua Bolten stated that while those provisions “have the strong support of a lot of our members,” the drawbacks of the bill outweigh the positives.
API hosted a panel at the World Petroleum Congress last week (5th-9th December) on the ‘perceptions of the energy industry’ featuring known spreaders of climate disinformation. This includes Alex Epstein, who recently made the following comments about COP26: “...COP26 is not a progressive scientific conference by an anti-human, primitive-religious attempt to commit mass genocide”. The ‘Congress’ was sponsored by ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Schlumberger, Aramco, BP, and BHP amongst others.
In her testimony before the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis on December 9th, Clean Energy Buyers Association CEO Miranda Ballentine directly advocated for the Build Back Better Act. In particular, she called upon the Senate to “preserve the House allocations to the clean energy provisions” and to pass the bill “without delay.”
In a December 10th press release, Exelon supported the Build Back Better Act and urged Congress to pass the bill. The utility wrote that the country was in need of “federal leadership” to achieve needed investments in clean energy.
In a position paper on measures to boost competitiveness published in November 2021, the Confederación Española de Organizaciones Empresariales (CEOE) stressed that the EU’s 2050 net zero target can only be achieved while maintaining competitiveness and preserving jobs. The paper also supported the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on the condition that it exclusively aims to support competitiveness and reduce the risk of carbon leakage. However, it supported the completion of Spain’s integrated railway corridors through the Trans-European Network - Transport (TEN-T) and [885318 advocated for energy efficiency investment.
According to a December 1st article by American Prospect, Consolidated Edison withdrew its initial support for the New York state “All-Electric Buildings Act.” The utility stated that it is “still evaluating the state legislation.” The bill, introduced in early November, would ban municipalities from issuing any new permits for the construction of new gas-powered buildings after 2023
The CEO of the Australian Industry Group (Ai Group), Innes Willox, supported the Labor Party’s climate plan, while also supporting their proposed increased greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 43% by 2030. He also stated support for the baselines in the Safeguard Mechanism to be reduced to aid abatement.
In a joint letter to EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson, the Corporate Leaders Group advocated for policymakers to introduce more ambitious energy efficiency standards, proposing a mandatory Minimum Energy Performance Standard within the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
BusinessEurope released a position paper on the Fit for 55 package, which advocated for a more ambitious revision of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, but supported including targets for Liquified and Compressed Natural Gas that mirrored electric recharging points. The position paper did not support the EU’s target for phasing out internal combustion engines by 2035 and was in favor of emissions intensity standards in the FuelEU Maritime regulation, as well as including Liquified Natural Gas.
The American Petroleum Institute wrote a letter to Senator Joe Manchin on the 1st December asking him to oppose a range of "harmful" measures under the Reconciliation Bill, "many of which fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources", of which Senator Manchin is the Chairman. These include a number of measures which increase the royalty fee on oil and gas production, royalties on methane, and shortened lease term lengths amongst others. The letter has also been signed by the American Exploration and Production Council, Independent Petroleum Association of America, and the US Oil and Gas Association amongst others.
The US Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, American Gas Association, and other US trade groups submitted a joint comment to the Council on Environmental Quality opposing the Biden administration’s move to reverse Trump-era changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Their comment supports the Trump-era changes, which narrowed the scope of NEPA impact assessments to “close causal impacts” and eliminated the category of “cumulative impacts,” making climate impacts difficult to assess.
In a press release, Exelon CEO Chris Crane supported the climate provisions in the Build Back Better Act and advocated for the Senate to pass the bill.
In a position paper on the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED), the International Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers (IFIEC)advocated that the policy should be based on technology neutrality and supported including recycled carbon fuels in RED. The position paper also supported the revision of the Energy Efficiency Directive with major exceptions as it stressed that low-carbon technologies use more energy than fossil fuels.
In response to the EU Commission’s request for input on the energy intensive industries’ transition pathways working document, CEMBUREAU seemed to support indirect cost compensation in the EU Emissions Trading System. The association also was supportive of policies to increase CCUS in the EU and using the EU standardization process to increase the market for low-carbon cement. However, it did not support the removal of the exemption of mineralogical processes in the Energy Taxation Directive.
The American Petroleum Institutes' CEO, Mike Sommers, released a statement calling for congress to oppose the climate measures under the Reconciliation Bill.
SolarPower Europe released a position paper on the amendment to the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive, in which the energy sector trade association advocated for a 2030 renewable energy target of at least 45%. The group also called for the maintenance of a strong definition for renewable hydrogen and an improvement to planning processes for rooftop solar PV deployment.
In their published testimony to the NYC City Council hearing last week, Con Edison appeared to support measures toward building electrification with major exceptions. The utility advocated for the final legislation texts to include “low-carbon fuels” without defining “low-carbon fuels.” This position contrasts with the company’s own updated Clean Energy Commitment which states Con Edison’s support for “net-zero building policies for new construction.”
The Federation of German Industries (BDI) appeared not to support the need for climate change regulation in a position paper on industrial output, citing challenges for industry from the “price-increasing” ‘Fit for 55’ proposals without carbon leakage protection.
After the Liberal Democratic Party secured a victory in the Japanese lower house elections, the President of Petroleum Association of Japan, who is also the CEO of ENEOS, put out a statement requesting the government to continue promoting energy policies based on importance of oil. Referring to the 6th Basic Energy Plan finalized by the cabinet last month, the President highlighted that oil is indispensable for people's lives and the economy in peacetime and emergencies.
Eurogas has declared support for the inclusion of numerous fossil gas projects in the projects of common (PCI) list within the EU’s TEN-E regulation revision in a Euractiv article. The group called it necessary to enabled coal to fossil gas transitions in certain Member States and alleviate energy security concerns.
CEMBUREAU published a joint position paper advocating against the removal of Mineralogical processes from the sectors exempted from the Energy Taxation Directive (ETD), and stressed the cost burden from aligning the ETD with the EU's climate goals. The position paper emphasized the costs for industry from the EU ETS increased carbon prices and the increasing of the level of GHG reductions mandated by 2030 to 61%.
Cefic released a position paper detailing its position on the EU Commission’s proposed reform to the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), which supported the policy with major exceptions. Cefic supported a technology neutral approach, and advocated for the inclusion of low-carbon fuels in RED targets. Cefic also supported including renewable hydrogen in the RFNBO target, but stressed that it could crowd out other low-carbon hydrogen production.
Automakers including Ford, General Motors and Volvo Cars pledged last Wednesday to work toward phasing out sales of new ICE-powered vehicles by 2040 worldwide, and by 2035 in leading markets, while Toyota, BMW, and Volkswagen did not join the non-legally binding pledge.
The Federation of German Industries (BDI) President Siegfried Russwurm stated support for stronger international cooperation and binding climate protection goals, also supporting Article 6 completion in a press release. However, the association also issued a position paper supporting a market-based response to climate change over government regulation, and highlighting economic and competitiveness concerns if the EU and Germany reduce CO2 emissions faster than the rest of the world.
The US Chamber of Commerce (the Chamber) issued a press release calling for the reversal of newly issued Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) guidance on shareholder proposals. The guidance makes it more difficult for companies to exclude shareholder proposals that deal with environmental, social, and governance issues, which the Chamber characterized as the SEC siding with a “small minority of activists” and turning shareholder meetings into “political debate societies.”
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and US Chamber of Commerce (the Chamber) both issued press releases in response to the Biden administration’s announcement on new federal methane regulations. The Chamber’s position appears marginally more positive than the NAM’s: the Chamber reiterates support for “both direct regulation of methane and increased voluntary reductions” while the NAM does not take a clear position. Both groups indicate their intention to engage the administration in further development of the regulations.
Bloomberg Green have reported that Iberdrola CEO, Ignacio Galan, advocated for the complete phase out of coal power, stating the technology has no place in a modern energy system, in reaction to a weakening of a global agreement on coal phase out.
The World Shipping Council published a position paper on its website, stating that the EU ETS and EU policy in general should ‘'complement' global GHG emissions reduction policy, instead of impeding it. It also recommended that only emissions from intra-EU shipping journeys are included in the EU ETS, arguing that including non-EU journeys will ‘incentivize market behaviour that weakens climate action through carbon leakage and market distortion’.
The Business Council of Australia, Ai Group and Australian Energy Council, through their membership to the Australian Climate Roundtable, released a statement urging the Australian government to build on its 2050 target and to raise ambition.
Specifically, they state that achieving the emissions goals set out at the Paris Agreement was vital for the future of Australian prosperity while also advocating for an increase to Australia’s 2030 NDC target as well as federal policy to help achieve net zero emissions, while stressing that failure to do this could harm competitiveness and result in Australia being left behind in a decarbonized world.
RWE CEO, Markus Krebber, has been reported stating support for the development of new unabated fossil gas power plants in Germany in WirtschaftsWoche. Krebber called for an additional fossil gas capacity of 20 to 30GW to be built in the country.
In response to Australia’s announcement of a net-zero by 2050 target, Whitehaven Coal has called for continued investment in fossil fuels, including coal, for decades. Whitehaven Coal Chairman, Mark Vaile, highlighted the global energy crisis to emphasize the risks of shifting away from coal as part of Australia’s net-zero push.
The Business Roundtable, European Round Table for Industry (ERT) and Business Council of Australia released a joint letter where they declared their support for limiting warming to 2 degrees and advocated for a carbon price to be applied across the G20 nations. They also called upon an increase in public sector support for clean energy technologies to aid the transition. However, while they called for climate policy, they stated that such policies should be ‘technology neutral’ and be able to ‘adapt to geopolitical conditions’.
Verband der Chemischen Industrie’s Director General Wolfgang Große Entrup advocated for the abolishment of the EEG renewable energy surcharge in Germany due to high energy prices in Europe in October 2021. He also did not appear to support the revision of the Energy Taxation Directive and the State Aid Guidelines for Climate and Energy due to the high energy prices.
The Confederation of British Industry welcomed the new UK Net Zero Strategy in a press release statement but argued that the UK needed to “push further and faster”, highlighting “pieces of the puzzle missing” such as energy efficiency incentives and business models to support CCS and hydrogen projects.
Hydrogen Europe’s CEO Jorgo Chatzimarkakis appeared to support a weakening of the EU Renewable Energy Directive’s Delegated Act on renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs) in a LinkedIn post. In which he claimed to support the additionality principle, the separation of renewable electricity deployment for renewable hydrogen from other renewable energy targets, but stated its implementation would harm renewable hydrogen production. The post also advocated for the EU Commission to not discriminate against fossil-fuel produced hydrogen.
In an interview with E&E News, Vistra CEO Curtis Morgan did not fully support the Clean Electricity Performance Program, appearing to advocate for lower annual clean power sales and weaker compliance measures.
Eurogas has welcomed amendments to rules for EU energy infrastructure (TEN-E) that would open the door to gas. On 27 September the EU Parliament’s industry committee agreed Parliament's position on TEN-E, enabling continued financial support for gas infrastructure in Europe, and therefore weakening the Commission's original proposal which stated "oil and natural gas infrastructure will no longer be eligible for support". Gas Infrastructure Europe and Hydrogen Europe, associations representing Gazprom, Engie, RWE, SNAM, and Uniper, have lobbied (example 1 and example 2) for these loopholes over the last year, and appear to have found a receptive audience in Parliament via the lead MEP for the file who close links with the industry. The two major red flags in the Parliament's position, which can be linked to lobbying tracked by InfluenceMap, are: i) continued priority status for existing fossil gas projects, which would receive funding up to 2023 and then continue to benefit from other advantages, such as fast-track permitting and ii) continued funding for infrastructure carrying an as yet undefined blend of gases up to 2027 on the condition it carries only hydrogen by the end of 2029. Parliament's backing of gas appears at odds with the IEA’s analysis that no new fossil gas reserves should be developed globally in order to achieve 1.5C. The file now enters trilogue talks with the Council and the Commission.
BDI published new position papers targeting the new German administration, strongly supporting increased ambition on national energy efficiency deployment, but opposing the proposed EU kerosene tax for aviation and advocating for increased free emissions permits for intra-EU feeder flights within the EU ETS.
Alongside, IATA, the world’s primary global aviation industry associations (including airports and aircraft manufacturers), and its key manufacturers, including Airbus and Boeing, have this week publicly committed to “achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050" for the first time in a joint statement. Their strategy focuses on the expansion of SAFs, increased low-carbon R&D, efficiency improvements, and the CORSIA offsetting scheme.
Eurometaux wrote a letter to EU Commission policymakers last week supporting full indirect cost compensation in the EU Emission Trading System and using the Market Stability Reserve to limit carbon prices to respond to the high costs of electricity in the EU. However, the association also suggested that a solution to the increasing electricity prices would be to ensure sufficient access to carbon-free electricity.
A US industry group, Autos Drive America, last week launched an advertising campaign to oppose proposed electric vehicle (EV) tax credits that would provide larger incentives for union-made EVs.
EU gas sector trade association, GasNaturally, has stated support for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to be used as a key decarbonizing fuel for the heavy-duty transport sector, while advocating for a technology-neutral approach to decarbonization. It championed support for the fossil fuel in its ‘Factsheet on Decarbonization of Heavy-Duty Transport’, without clearly communicating conditions for CCS or methane emission abatement.
Confindustria Tweeted that the EU needed to “reconcile ambition and realism” in the context of the green deal, and warned in a press release that if decarbonization is pursued by the EU alone without global cooperation, climate action could become a “boomerang” for industry.
In a press release this week, Eurofer advocated for a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to be implemented alongside current carbon leakage protection measures in the EU Emission Trading System (EU ETS) until 2030. However, in a tweet from the week before the association suggested that a CBAM should complement full free allocation of emissions allowances until 2030 in the EU ETS.
The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) has stated opposition to German government plans to increase the CO2 stringency criteria for purchase subsidies for new plug-in hybrids. The rules would mean plug-in hybrids will only be eligible for subsidies if they have a longer range when driving in purely electric mode (over 60 km as of October 2022 and over 80 km as of 2024).
The CBI has advocated strongly for more ambitious UK climate policy in a speech by its Director General ahead of the UK budget and spending review next month, calling for “plans not platitudes”, climate investment to match EU peers, faster delivery of sector plans, and specific regulations to aid energy efficiency deployment.
The US Chamber of Commerce has strongly critiqued the climate provisions contained in the reconciliation budget proposal, arguing they don’t represent the “durable climate policy” it wants to see. The bill contains policy measures such as a clean energy standard and clean energy tax credits, methane fee, and clean transportation incentives. The Chamber described it as an “everything-but-the-kitchen-sink” bill, doubling down on its previous opposition based on the plan’s implications for corporate taxes.
The Federation of German Industries (BDI) President was quoted by Euractive opposing EU proposals to “put an end to the combustion engine”, lobbying instead for a technology neutral approach to transport decarbonization.
In September 2021, Bluescope Steel published a Climate Action Report strongly supporting policy measures to decarbonize the steel industry in Australia, including increased hydrogen production and renewable electricity, but stressed that government regulation must avoid carbon leakage.
The American Petroleum Institute and numerous other oil and gas industry groups have submitted a joint letter to the Committee on Environment and Public Works to oppose the Methane Emissions Reduction Act of 2021. This Act would introduce a fee on methane emissions from oil and gas operations in the United States, as well as introducing an import fee on oil and gas imported from abroad. In their letter, the groups said the “unreasonable, punitive fee... could jeopardize affordable and reliable energy with likely little reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions”
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Iberdrola CEO, Ignacio Galán stated support for coal plant closures in the US by 2035, and supported the potential for shifting electricity to 100% renewable energy.
CBI has welcomed the UK Hydrogen Strategy, applauding it as a roadmap for “low-carbon hydrogen” that will be vital for carbon-intensive sectors. It also advocated for the Government to consider using business rates exemptions to incentivize energy efficiency measures.
The Australian Financial Review has reported that several Australian energy and utility companies, including CLP Holdings (EnergyAustralia), Delta Electricity, Origin Energy and Alinta Energy have sent a letter to policymakers stating support for government reform that would pay coal and gas generators to guarantee future capacity, with a likelihood to continue a role for coal in the energy mix.
CEOs from companies including Airbus, TotalEnergies, EDF, VINCI and VW have signed a letter to French policymakers advocating for the Fit for 55 package and climate policy to be a priority for the French presidency of the European Commission in January 2022. They also supported the Renovation Wave and the CBAM.
The US Chamber of Commerce has joined the debate on the Clean Energy Standard (CES), a policy under consideration in the infrastructure budget framework. The Chamber sent a letter to policymakers on July 21st which did not explicitly endorse the measure and offered strong caveats around potential support. Like the Edison Electric Institute, it called for the inclusion of natural gas in any future CES. It did not mention the need for methane abatement or carbon capture, and called for “realistic” time frames in addition to regulatory simplification measures that would exempt utilities from other policies should a CES pass.
The Federation of German Industries (BDI) flagged further competitiveness concerns in relation to the EU's new 'Fit for 55 Package', and advocated for mandatory tax exemptions for industry within the reformed Energy Taxation Directive, as well as opposing EU-level taxation of aviation and maritime fuels.
The German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) has been actively and negatively lobbying various EU and German climate policy over recent weeks, particularly focusing on the reform of the German renewable electricity levy, advocating for it to be abolished, and not supporting Germany’s 2035 renewable energy target of 100%. The VCI did not support Germany’s accelerated coal phase out in a position paper in July 2021, and its President Christian Kullmann did not support reforms to the EU ETS to reduce free allocation of allowances and opposed replacing carbon leakage measures with a CBAM in July 2021.
Several power sector trade groups welcomed the EU’s Fit for 55 climate legislative package. Eurelectric launched a new Fit for 55 webpage, in which the association stated strong support for legislative measures, including EU ETS reforms, and revisions to the Renewable Energy Directive and Energy Taxation Directive. Similar supportive views were also shared from WindEurope and SolarPower Europe.
BDI argued that carbon leakage protections within the EU ETS should be strengthened, stating that they are non-negotiable protections. BDI also advocated that carbon border adjustment mechanisms are not an alternative to existing carbon leakage measures, and opposed ‘putting an end to the combustion engine’.
CLEPA, the trade association for European automotive suppliers, has vocally opposed the EU’s proposed 100% CO2 standards for 2035, arguing that the EU should not ban internal combustion engines.
A FT article reported aggressive pushback from the German Association for Automotive Industry (VDA) on proposed measures to phase out ICE vehicles through a zero-emissions 2035 EU-wide CO2 standard, who argued that EU emissions regulations “could lead to the loss of 215,000 jobs” and that the internal combustion engine must not be rendered impossible by Euro 7. In contrast the FT stated that Volkswagen “welcomed the package”.
The US Chamber of Commerce and American Chemistry Council, among other trade groups and companies including Intel, are lobbying the EPA to weaken the ambition of a proposed policy to establish a federal allowance and trading system for hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). While all three entities issue broad support for lowering HFC production and use, the caveats in their support for the regulation suggest greater flexibility in compliance and higher HFC allowances.
A report from Politco Pro suggests that Volkswagen has been lobbying ACEA, the EU autos industry association, to support more ambitious electrification policies & CO2 standards for light-duty vehicles in the upcoming Fit for 55 package. VW will this week announce the group’s new decarbonization 2030 strategy.
Several EU utilities have released a joint, CEO-signed, letter advocating for the EU to support the decarbonization and electrification of heating and cooling in buildings. The letter calls on EU policymakers to support decarbonization through investment and expansion in heat pumps as part of the EU’s Energy System Integration Strategy. Whilst, also expressing support for energy efficiency improvements in buildings through the EU’s Renovation Wave initiative.
EU industry associations including IOGP, FuelsEurope and Cefic are calling for a delay to taxonomy-related corporate reporting requirements. They are also opposing requirements to explain why activities are not compliant with the taxonomy, for example where they significantly harm environmental objectives or do not comply with minimum social safeguards.
The US Chamber appears to have backed a new effort among Republicans in congress to advance “conservative climate solutions that align with Republican principles.” A press release announcing the “Conservative Climate Caucus,” led by Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah), quotes Marty Durbin of the Global Energy Institute in calling for “durable” and “achievable” climate solutions which, he argues, must gain support from both sides of the aisle.
The Minerals Council of Australia did not support the decision by the Australian Senate to vote down proposals to water down the mandate of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). Energy Minister Angus Taylor had proposed to expand ARENA’s remit beyond renewables to fund the development of carbon capture and storage and “blue” hydrogen produced with gas.
The Australian resource sector has released a joint statement calling on the federal government to pass amendments to the Environmental Protection And Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act which is to be debated in parliament this week. An independent review in to the bill last year concluded that it was in urgent need of reform, however the government has adopted only a few of the 38 suggestions provided by the review. The reforms have been critisized by academics who argue it will weaken the policy, and only speed up the approval process for new resource projects, and would provide little additional environmental protection.
In a joint press release on June 16th, the Presidents of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, and Business Roundtable urged policymakers to pass a bipartisan infrastructure deal. The statement does not comment on the need to consider climate change in the infrastructure package, a central sticking point for some climate advocates in Congress who are threatening to refuse the deal if it omits climate change policy measures.
In an op-ed, Christian Kullmann, CEO of Evonik Industries and President of German Chemical Industry Association (VCI), criticized Germany's Renewable Energy Act for over-regulation and market distortion and argued for a case of blue hydrogen on the ground of maintaining the competitiveness of the industry.
In the last week of May 2021, The American Gas Association and the American Petroleum Institute submitted a joint comment to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) concerning new regulations around methane leak detection and repair from the PIPES Act of 2020. Although the groups stated support for the Act, this support appeared to have major exceptions, with the comment urging the PHMSA to consider the impact on affordability from “stringent regulatory mandates that… significantly increase the scale or frequency of leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs”.
At a summit hosted by the US Department of Energy, Apple’s Vice President of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives Lisa Jackson offered explicit support for a federal Clean Energy Standard (CES). A CES was included in President Biden’s American Jobs Plan and is likely to be one of the core policies under debate as policymakers weigh options for decarbonizing the power sector.
The World Coal Association (WCA)labelled the International Energy Agency’s recommendation to halt fossil fuel exploration and spending on new projects “unrealistic”, as reported in the Financial Times. In a subsequent press release, WCA also rejected the need to “phase out” coal, supporting a “phase in” of “tested and proven” clean coal technologies including CCS, Coal to Hydrogen, HELE and more to reach net zero.
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) has reportedly opposed a move under the Biden administration to repeal a measure that required a cost-benefit analysis of Clean Air Act regulations. The measure was first introduced under the Trump administration and, according to E&E news, strongly supported by NAM at the time. Repeal of the measure removes a barrier to future greenhouse gas emissions standards and targets.
At Japanese Ministry of Environment hearing on carbon pricing Nippon Steel presented the arguments against Europe’s carbon border adjustment (CBA) mechanisms by EUROFER, Business Europe and ADAC (German motoring association). It shared EUROFER’s view that replacing CBAs with existing electricity price incentives and free ETS allocations will be fatal to the European steel industry. Nippon Steel further underscored that German industrial electricity prices are far lower than those in Japan, and the Japanese government must consider support for domestic industries as it expands carbon pricing measures.
Several prominent heavy industry players have come out against Germany’s new increased climate target in an article in Handelsblatt, including BASF CEO Martin Brüdermuller, who appears to have suggested that increasing the ambition of climate goals prevents the implementation of concrete measures to transition industry. thyssenkrupp also did not seem to support the increased target, advocating for specific political steps instead of new goals.
The Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) and a number of its members co-signed a letter asking the UK’s Prime Minister to commit to a net zero financial sector ahead of the G7 summit in June.
The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) released a statement from EEI President Tom Kuhn, strongly supporting the Clean Energy for America Act. The proposed legislation would alter the tax code to better incentivize clean energy investments and to remove incentives for fossil fuels.
The Consumer Energy Alliance has produced a new study that appears to strongly oppose a proposed ban on natural gas hookups in new builds in New York City from 2030, claiming that such a proposal could cost New York households “astronomical” costs of over $25,000
Trade associations in Europe have been engaging intensely with the carbon border adjustment mechanism due to the European Parliament’s vote on the policy, with mixed approaches. On Twitter, the President of Medef appears to support a carbon border adjustment mechanism, saying it is the solution to keep jobs. CEMBUREAU supports a CBAM alongside EU ETS free allowances, and the VCI advocates against the removal of existing carbon leakage protection also on Twitter. The BDI does not seem to support replacing EU ETS free allowances with a CBAM.
ABB, CEZ, EDF, ENGIE, Uniper were all signatories of a joint letter to the EU commission that appears to be asking for the CO2 threshold for ‘green’ hydrogen under the EU taxonomy to be raised to incorporate hydrogen from produced from the power grid, and state that the current taxonomy threshold is also at odds with the European Commission’s own hydrogen strategy
API have attacked President Biden’s decision to ban new offshore leases for oil and gas, claiming it will “threaten U.S. environmental progress, cost American jobs and investment, and set us on a path toward greater reliance on foreign energy produced with lower environmental standards”
In a hearing with the European Economic and Social Committee on the 4th May, BusinessEurope stressed the administrative and additional burden on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from the Fit for 55 package.
In a May 6th 2022 article from German media outlet Tagesschau, BlackRock Investment Strategist, Martin Lück, appeared to oppose the weakening of the EU’s taxonomy to include natural gas.
In a 7th May Drive news article, Vinesh Bhindi, Managing Director of Mazda Australia, appeared unsupportive of the electrification of road transportation, stating that: "In Australia the internal combustion engine – like in many other parts of the world – still has a way to go.” Referring to ICE bans in other markets, he said that "Australia is in a different place and there are many other parts of the world that are going to be different".
In a 7th May interview with media source WNP, Polish utility PGE’s CEO, Wojciech Dąbrowski, appeared to advocate against the expansion of renewable energy and did not support the phase out of coal in Europe, emphasizing concerns of energy security.
In a May 5th Financial Review article, Rio Tinto CEO, Jakob Stausholm, stated that Australia is “not developing renewable energy fast enough” and stressed that the country needs to focus on what it can do to stimulate the development of renewable energy. Stausholm also appeared to support the closure of coal-fired power stations in Australia. This comes at the same time that Rio Tinto’s climate action plan saw opposition from shareholders, who noted that the company’s scope 3 emissions dwarf its operational emissions.
In April 25th comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Edison Electric Institute (EEI) questioned FERC’s jurisdictional authority to include climate considerations into the interstate gas pipeline approval process. In joint comments on the same day, Xcel Energy and National Grid emphasized feasibility concerns with the proposed FERC policy update and appeared to oppose all-electrification building pathways.
In an April 28th press release, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA) supported a vote by the EU Parliament's Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) in favor of reducing the CO2 emissions reduction target for light-duty vehicles proposed by the EU Commission from 100% to 90%. CLEPA also recognized the contribution of sustainable renewable fuels for compliance with the targets, effectively opposing a phase-out of ICE-powered vehicles in the EU.
On May 2nd, the Daily Telegraph published an article discussing AdBri’s position on Labor’s proposals for Australia’s Safeguard Mechanism. AdBri CEO Nick Miller appeared unsupportive of Labor’s proposal to strengthen the Safeguard Mechanism, with the article stating that the company was “cautious” about the proposal. Miller stated that, since the cement and steel industries are hard to abate sectors, changes to the Safeguard Mechanism need to be “very carefully thought through” to ensure that investments in the sectors are not stifled.
An open letter to EU policymakers on 19th April, initiated by Air Liquide's Head of Innovation Dr. Armin Günther, supported a long-term role for internal combustion engine vehicles in the EU, advocating for EU policies (including the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, the Energy Taxation Directive, CO2 Standards for Light and Heavy Duty Vehicles and the Renewable Energy Directive) to support e-fuels and hydrogen over the electrification of transportation. The letter stated that “electromobility will in all likelihood not lead to any significant greenhouse gas reductions in the period up to 2030, which is crucial for the long-term success or failure of climate protection. In particular to, the high CO2 emissions caused by the construction of batteries, the high share of fossil fuels in power generation that will still exist for a long time and the enormous expense for the charging infrastructure.”
In a position paper on the RePowerEU legislation, published on 20th April, Cembureau advocated for the inclusion of low-carbon energy sources in the initiative, and it was in favor of simplified and harmonized sustainability criteria in the reform of the Renewable Energy Directive for waste-biomass. The association also supported policies to increase the use of non-recyclable waste and biomass to replace fossil fuels in cement production.
In an April 20th press release, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA) supported a vote by the EU Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) in favour of reducing the CO2 emissions reduction target for light-duty vehicles proposed by the Commission from 100% to 90%, effectively opposing a phase-out of ICE-powered vehicles in the EU.
In an April 19th press release, American Gas Association CEO Karen Harbert opposed the Biden administration's decision to restore climate impact requirements to the National Environmental Policy Act, stating that the new rule “will impede infrastructure projects this nation needs.”
In an April 21st press release, Advanced Energy Economy Strongly supporting the need for climate change regulation supported the climate policies proposed in the Michigan Healthy Climate Plan toward achieving carbon neutrality in the state by 2050. The recommendations include setting a renewable energy standard of 50% by 2030 and supporting electric vehicle deployment.
In an article posted on 23rd April by Times Union, it was suggested that National Grid is unsupportive of state-level climate change policy in New York and Massachusetts, specifically opposing policies to support the electrification of the heating sector. The utility instead stated support for a hybrid approach to enable use of gaseous technologies.
Google published a policy roadmap calling for urgent decarbonization of the electricity sector globally, with detailed recommendations of different policies needed to get there, such as a federal clean electricity standard in the US. The paper clearly laid out the need for strong public policy on top of renewable energy purchasing by companies like itself. Google also offered IPCC-aligned positions on transitioning certain fuel types in the energy mix - for example, calling for the complete phase out of coal under strict timelines and for avoiding investment in unabated fossil gas, with all future gas tied to carbon capture and storage.
In an April 12th blog, Advanced Energy Economy CEO Nat Kreamer advocated for the rapid phase-out of fossil fuels, including oil and gas, in response to the crisis in Ukraine. Since early March, Kreamer has been opposing moves to replace Russian fossil fuel imports with domestic fossil fuel expansion. He has also repeatedly advocated for President Biden to invoke the Defense Production Act to accelerate the deployment of clean energy technologies, including heat pumps, both for domestic use and to send to Europe.
In a 19th April report by Mining Weekly, the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, Minerals Council Australia, and the Chamber of Minerals and Energy Western Australia appeared to support Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s pledge to halt any additional carbon taxes in the mining sector should the Coalition government remain in power. This follows a package of campaign promises from Morrison, including a $50-million investment in domestic mineral supply-chains.
At a press conference on April 12th, Michiaki Hirose, Chairman of Tokyo Gas and Vice President for Asia of the International Group of Liquefied Natural Gas Importers (GIIGNL), requested that the government take mitigation and support measures in response to higher LNG costs due to the invasion of Ukraine, Nikkei reported. He expressed support for a subsidy mechanism for LNG and technological development and policy guidance to support LNG development, as well as the relaxation of environmental regulations from the governments of other countries.
In an April 2022 position paper on the EU’s Methane Rules for the energy sector, Fortum supported the legislation with exceptions. These included advocating for compensation or incentives for methane emissions reductions, reducing the frequency of Leak Detection and Repair checks, and appeared to be unsupportive of the routine venting and flaring ban.
In a 6th April joint letter at WindEurope’s annual conference, a host of energy and utility companies including EDF, EDP, Equinor, Iberdrola, Repsol, RWE, Shell, Siemens Energy and Orsted advocated to European policymakers to accelerate the development of offshore wind.
On April 4th 2022, the same day the IPCC released its latest report calling for a decline in the use of fossil fuels, ExxonMobil released a press release regarding its $10 billion investment into a new oil and gas development in Guyana. In its press release, ExxonMobil appeared to suggest oil and gas was needed to provide ‘reliable’ energy. This was accompanied by a series of tweets using narratives around energy security to justify further oil and gas development.
In a March 31st Tweet, Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) supported the broad legislative package introduced the same day by Colorado Democrats, which includes a wide range of investments in clean energy, energy efficiency, and transport electrification.
According to a March 31st E&ENews article, Exelon’s subsidiaries Pepco and BGE appear to support the amended Maryland Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022, which would establish a GHG emissions reduction target of 60% below 2006 levels by 2031. Previously, the subsidiaries had strongly opposed earlier versions of the bill during February and March committee hearings that had authorized a ban on fossil gas in new buildings by 2023. The latest version of the bill requires only a study on building electrification to be completed by the end of 2023. If the bill is vetoed by Republican Governor Hogan, as is expected given his criticism of the legislation, the Legislature may still have enough votes to override the veto.
In a report published on 25th March, the Confederación Española de Organizaciones Empresariales (CEOE) suggested the Fit for 55 package was in need of a “reality check” due to current circumstances. It did not seem to support the increased 2030 GHG target as it stressed the costs and challenges of meeting the target. CEOE advocated that measures to transition the energy mix should maintain the competitiveness of industry and be socially and economically viable.
In a meeting with the EU Commissioner for Environment on 23rd March, BusinessEurope Director General Markus J. Beyrer opposed the inclusion of GHG emissions in the Industrial Emissions Directive, a position which was adopted by the Commission.
During the March 21st public meeting of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Climate and Resiliency (EX) Task Force, representatives from American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA), National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC), and Reinsurance Association of America (RAA) tried to delay implementation of the redesigned Climate Risk Disclosure Survey.
The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) joined a legal challenge against the Biden Administration’s new vehicle pollution standards, as reported by the Wall Street Journal on 30 March.
On March 30th, the Financial Times reported that Fortescue Chairman Andrew Forrest supported the use of green hydrogen in Europe as an alternative energy source to Russian fossil fuels. Forrest stated that “Liquid hydrogen will become the largest seaborne trade in the world”, and appeared to support the creation of a green hydrogen market.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Energy Institute issued a press release on March 21st advocating, again, for increased oil and gas production in the U.S. given the implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for domestic energy supply. The press release states that oil and gas are likely to remain the most-consumed sources of energy in the U.S. through to at least 2050, a position which appears to significantly overshoot IPCC scenarios for achieving 1.5C. The previous week, the Chamber made similar arguments in a joint amicus brief supporting the Line 5 pipeline in Michigan.
In a March 23rd joint letter to President Biden, the American Gas Association CEO supported the U.S. ban on Russian fossil fuel imports and advocated for federal agencies to expedite approval of domestic LNG and fossil gas infrastructure projects.
On the 25th March, Santos gave testimony at the senate inquiry in to oil and gas exploration at the Beetaloo Basin. The company stated that fossil gas will continue to play an important role for ‘at least the next two decades’, and appeared to support the continuation of fossil fuel subsidies to ‘accelerate the development of new natural gas sources’. The company also stated how its fossil gas can reduce energy poverty in Asia and contribute to the UN’s sustainable development goals.
On the 16th of March, the Financial Review reported that the Australian Energy Council (AEC) opposed Victoria’s target of generating 20 per cent of its energy from offshore wind within a decade. AEC stated that the target would drive up energy prices, and that pursuing it would negatively affect public support for decarbonization.
In a meeting with President Biden on March 21st, J.P. Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon urged the White House to create a “Marshall Plan” to scale up US oil and gas production in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In a letter to the Chair of the EU Environment Council on 16th March, BusinessEurope advocated for more flexibility in the EU Emissions Trading System Reform to allow additional allowances to flow from the Market Stability Reserve and to increase the buffer for free allocation to cope with “current crises", weakening the ambition of the scheme. It also did not support the EU Commission’s proposal for a carbon border adjustment mechanism, as it proposed maintaining current free allocation of emissions allowances until at least 2030 and advocated for export rebates to be included.
Following the release of the SEC’s proposed rule-making on climate disclosures, the Investment Company Institute published a press release on March 21st in which CEO Eric J. Pan stated support for the proposal.
Following the release of the US Securities and Exchange Commission's proposed rule-making on climate change disclosures, the US Chamber of Commerce published a press release on March 21st, in which it argued that the proposal was too “prescriptive” and that voluntary reporting was sufficient to meet investor demand.
On 21st March, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Woodside had commissioned the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to produce a report on emission levels from additional LNG in Asia. The report found that increasing gas supply could prolong coal, displace renewables and increase emissions. The report was shelved by Woodside, and they simultaneously continued to claim that increasing LNG would reduce emissions.
In an industry survey and accompanying press release published on 21st March, the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) called for the incoming South Korean government to provide ‘full support’ for R&D in carbon-neutral technology. KCCI stated that ‘lack of investment funds’ was the primary barrier to emissions reductions for Korean industry.
On the 5th March, RWE CEO Markus Krebber supported the construction of a new liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal in Germany, stating it would make an “important contribution” to reduce dependency on Russian fossil gas.
In a hearing before the Connecticut House Energy and Technology Committee on March 3rd, utilities submitted written testimony to support House Bill 5200, which proposes to study hydrogen production in the state. As introduced, the legislation does not specify sources and therefore has not clarified any details on decarbonizing the fuel’s production.
Avangrid supported the bill and appeared to advocate for the use of green hydrogen in heavy-duty transport. Dominion also supported the bill and appeared to support green hydrogen. Eversource supported the bill, specifically because of the hydrogen incentives authorized by the federal bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
In a March 10th article, E&E News described how utilities that previously took legal action against the Obama-era Clean Power Plan are now sitting on the sidelines of the ongoing Supreme Court case to decide the EPA’s authority to regulate GHG emissions from power plants. These utilities include AEP, Duke, Entergy, NRG, and Southern, all of which are not petitioners in the case and appear to be taking a neutral position.
A 9th March City AM article, authored by E.ON UK CEO Michael Lewis, called for the expansion of renewable energies to ease the dependency on fossil fuels, and not further investments in North Sea fossil fuels. Alongside this, the article supported more energy efficiency measures in the UK.
On 15th March, Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) published an Overseas Expansion of Strategic Infrastructure Plan which requests the Japanese government to support other governments in formulating their national carbon neutrality roadmaps in order for Japanese companies to export their “energy transition technologies”, including “efficient” coal power plants, ammonia blending in thermal coal plants, and LNG.
An InfluenceMap Freedom of Information Request found emails from November 2021 between U.S. Bancorp and the West Virginia Treasurer that show evidence of U.S. Bancorp communicating its support for continued investments in fossil fuels.
In a joint statement, published on 2nd March, energy-intensive associations including Eurofer, the International Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers and the Confederation of European Paper Industries advocated for less stringent measures for high-efficiency cogeneration (combined heat and power, CHP) in reforms to EU climate policy. The statement advocated against strong criteria for high-efficiency CHP in the Energy Efficiency Directive and was supportive of exemptions for high-efficiency CHP in the Energy Taxation Directive.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is calling for a number of federal policy measures to increase oil and gas exploration, production, and export, citing dependence on Russian oil and the crisis in Ukraine. The Chamber published a press release on March 1st advocating for specific policy measures, such as an end to the federal ban on oil and gas leasing and approval of pending permits for new LNG export terminals. It also addressed a letter to policymakers on March 2nd reiterating support for the reversal of the new ruling by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to consider the GHG emissions impacts of new fossil gas pipelines.
In a series of Tweets during President Biden’s State of the Union address on March 1st, Edison Electric Institute (EEI) advocated for Congress to advance “forward-thinking climate and clean energy tax legislation.” EEI did not reference the Build Back Better package and its renewable energy tax credits by name.
In a March 1’st press release ahead of President Biden’s State of the Union address, American Gas Association (AGA) CEO Karen Harbert advocated for domestic fossil gas infrastructure. Harbert cited the rising gas prices in Europe and the Russia-Ukraine crisis as reasons to advance a “strong energy position at home.” AGA continued to support American fossil gas in a subsequent press release on March 4th, stating that the “substantial domestic supply of natural gas has inoculated Americans” from the gas prices seen in Europe.
On March 3rd, the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) released a statement supporting the suspension of Russian petroleum imports. In this statement, the association called for promoting US energy production, including encouraging oil and gas production and “reforms to make it more economical to produce gasoline and diesel in the United States.”
In a 1st March 2022 Economic Times media report, Kenichi Ayukawa, CEO of Maruti Suzuki (a subsidiary of Suzuki) and president of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) stated that the automotive industry is pushing back against CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency) II emission norms in India, which are due to come into force from April 2022.
AGA released several press releases, including on February 25th and 28th, in which CEO Karen Harbert advocated for investments in fossil gas infrastructure in response to the Russia-Ukraine crisis and rising gas prices in Europe. AGA emphasized “economic stability and national security” in calling for the long-term role of gas in the U.S.
On the 23rd February, heavy industry associations CEMBUREAU, Eurofer and Eurometaux published a joint statement in opposition to the EU Parliament's International Trade Committee’s (INTA) proposed amendments to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.
The associations were unsupportive of the proposal to phase out the free allocation of emissions allowances in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and advocated for the inclusion of export rebates. They also supported the continuation of indirect cost compensation in the EU ETS as a form of carbon leakage protection. Following this, on 1st March, the INTA Committee voted down an opinion on the CBAM after MEPs from the European People’s Party voted against compromise amendments they had previously supported, according to Politico.
Between 22nd to 25th February 2022, American Petroleum Institute (API) released a set of communications that called on the Biden Administration to expand oil and gas production in the US, citing the potential impacts of Russia-Ukraine crisis on the US energy security. This included a press release in which API President and CEO Mike Sommers called for expediting permits on energy infrastructure and continued oil and gas leasing. Sommers also reiterated the message in a televised interview with Bloomberg. Tweets from API also stated the need for offshore leasing and reduced “legal & regulatory uncertainty” for fossil fuel projects.
National Mining Association CEO Rich Nolan appeared to advocate against the energy transition in the U.S., specifically the transition to wind and solar. He cited the energy transition in Europe, stating that Europe has “made themselves reliant on weather-dependent wind and solar power and a gas market controlled by Vladimir Putin”, resulting in increased energy prices. Nolan also said that a drive to renewables absent of fuel diversity is a “path we need not take”.
In a joint public statement submitted to the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners on February 15th, Edison Electric Institute and the Solar Energy Industries Association stated support for solar energy development in the U.S. and appeared to advocate for renewable energy policies.
In a February 2022 European Round Table for Industry Op-Ed, Volvo Group CEO, Martin Lundstedt, appeared to support the electrification of transportation, calling on EU policymakers to regulate urban areas across Europe into zero-emission zones.
Asia Natural Gas and Energy Association (ANGEA) Chairman and President of Chevron Eurasia Pacific Nigel Hearne stated support for the Australian government’s ‘Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Commodities Report’ which called for increased trade and investment in Australia’s LNG sector. In the statement, Chairman Hearne called LNG an ‘affordable and reliable energy’ that would be ‘fundamental to achieving regional decarbonization objectives’.
In a press release, Confindustria appeared to oppose specific EU GHG emissions standards for light duty vehicles, advocating for a weaker 2030 CO2 standard of 45% rather than 55% and a delayed decision on 2035 and 2040 targets, opposing the 2035 zero emissions standard proposed by the EU Commission.
In a February newsletter, BusinessEurope suggested that mobility policies in the Fit for 55 package should take into account the costs for industry and impacts on competitiveness. The association supported the emission intensity standards but advocated for alternative production pathways for fuels in the FuelEU Maritime legislation, and suggested that there could be international retaliation.
BusinessEurope was supportive of slightly higher blending obligations in the short and medium term in the ReFuelEU Aviation legislation, but supported flexibilities for companies. The association advocated for increased ambition of the roll-out of charging and refuelling infrastructure in the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation.
The Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) released an ‘election platform’ that called for all parties in South Australia to recognize a key role for fossil gas in a clean energy future and to safeguard the investment environment in the run-up to the state election in mid-March.
On February 17, the US Chamber held a webinar where it stated opposition to the SEC requiring Scope 3 emissions disclosures in its upcoming rule. This is happening in the midst of an ongoing debate amongst Democratic SEC Commissioners about the appropriate level of ambition for the rule.
President Biden held a brief roundtable with utility CEOs on February 9th to discuss the Build Back Better Act, in which the CEOs of American Electric Power, DTE Energy, and Duke Energy appeared to express support for the bill’s renewable energy tax credits. Edison International CEO Pedro Pizarro, in an interview with the Washington Post after the meeting, emphasized his support for the Build Back Better climate provisions and expressed concern about the cost of inaction. CEOs and senior executives from Ameren, Avangrid, Exelon, and Southern Company were also present, but no remarks from them were recorded in the transcript released by the White House.
Delta Electricity, Origin Energy, AGL all appeared to respond negatively to the Australian Energy Market Operators (AOMC) consultation on the Integrated System Plan (ISP), a roadmap for the whole energy system, which includes a net zero by 2050 target in its remit.
The companies did not appear to support the most ambitious scenarios presented by the AOMC for the 2022 ISP. Delta Electricity appeared to oppose the notion that coal-fired generators would close sooner than expected, while Origin stated there was a ‘disconnect’ between the AEMO’s models and what can be practically achieved.
Separately, AGL moved its coal generator closure dates to 2045, 13 years after the AEMO ‘step change’ scenario envisages, with AGL CEO Graeme Hunt describing the models as ‘not credible’
In conversation with Fortune, Cummins CEO Tom Linebarger strongly supported the Build Back Better Act and its climate provisions. Linebarger expressly supported the whole bill “despite some unattractive tax elements, because climate is existential.” He also called for public policy to catalyze improvements in hydrogen technology, including a carbon tax, though he did not take a clear position on decarbonizing hydrogen production.
A joint statement energy intensive industry, including the International Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers (IFIEC), CEMBUREAU, Eurofer, Eurometaux and FuelsEurope, advocated against proposed reforms to the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) including the revision of the benchmarks, rebasing and the tightening of the Market Stability Reserve. The groups supported the free allocation of emissions allowances and measures to avoid the application of the cross-sectoral correction factor.
In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, the President of Confindustria, Carlo Bonomi, supported an increase in national fossil gas production and appeared not to support current policy to transition to electric vehicles, warning of “social disaster” if the transition is forced.
In a February 3rd committee hearing on Florida House Bill 741, NextEra subsidiary Florida Power & Light registered in support of the bill, which would weaken net energy metering incentives in the state.
In a February 2022 Euractiv article, Eurogas president Didier Holleaux appeared to support the EU’s Methane Rules for the energy sector with major exceptions, including advocating against measures on gas imports by highlighting gas supply concerns.
In an interview with VoteWatch, a Eurofer senior executive supported a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) in the EU alongside the continuation of carbon leakage protection measures in the EU Emissions Trading System until at least 2030, and advocated for the inclusion of export rebates, a proposal which is misaligned with the EU Commission.
The CEO of the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) was quoted in the Financial Times appearing to state support for the EU commission's proposal to weaken the sustainable finance taxonomy by including fossil gas, stating that “The EU’s policy announcement demonstrates the competitive advantage Australia has with the natural gas that abounds in the country and the role Australia can play in both domestic and international decarbonisation landscapes,”
According to a February 3rd article by the Energy and Policy Institute, Xcel Energy is one of the founding members of an anti-electrification group which launched in late January. The group, called Coloradans for Energy Access, supports the use of fossil gas in homes and businesses in the state and is against “forced electrification.”
American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) CEO Chet Thompson wrote an opinion piece in the Albuquerque Journal in February of 2022 encouraging voters to call their representatives and tell them to oppose the newly introduced Senate Bill 14. This bill would create a clean fuel standard in the state of New Mexico, which Thompson related to the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard in order to encourage opposition.
Nine power companies, including Consolidated Edison, Exelon, National Grid, and PG&E, filed a legal brief on January 18th advocating for the Supreme Court to uphold the EPA’s authority to regulate GHG emissions. In their brief, the companies emphasized flexibility and a “market-driven” approach to cost-effectively reduce emissions.
CEO of the Business Roundtable, Joshua Bolten, reiterated a negative position on the US Build Back Better Act, citing opposition to the bill’s tax increases despite vague support for “climate change programs and incentives.” Politico reports that Business Roundtable’s continued position on Build Back Better contrasts with that of its new Chair, Mary Barra, the CEO of General Motors. The US Chamber of Commerce also reiterated continued opposition to the bill for the same reasons. The Chamber added that it might support a smaller, standalone bill, though it did not mention climate policy specifically.
According to a January 26th article by the Cornell Daily Sun, a representative of Sempra Infrastructure at the 2021 Cornell Energy Connection conference stated that gas should replace oil and coal in developing nations “before they can transition to renewables.”
BusinessEurope met with the EU parliament rapporteur on the revision of the CO2 standards for light duty vehicles in January. During the meeting, BusinessEurope stated that it did not support the proposed 2035 and 2027 targets, and emphasized the need for 'technological neutrality'. However, it did advocate for policy to aid the roll-out of charging infrastructure.
On social media in January 2022 Eurofer did not support the EU Commission’s proposed Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and advocated for export rebates to be included in the policy, as well as for the continuation of free allocation of emissions allowances in the EU Emissions Trading System for an unspecified testing period.
In its January position paper on the EU Renewable Energy Directive revision, trade association Eurelectric supported the increase in 2030 renewable energy target to at least 40%. However, appeared to be cautious on improvements to the sustainability criteria for bioenergy, and sought further clarification on the fuel-neutral credit mechanism for the transport sector.
Multiple airlines, including Air France-KLM, easyJet, Ryanair alongside Deutsche Post DHL signed a joint consensus statement alongside multiple NGOs, to support the EU's proposed SAF mandate, and advocate for more ambition in the "scale and timing" of its sub-targets for e-kerosene.
A January 2022 Reuters article stated E.ON CEO, Leonhard Birnbaum, was unsupportive of the current electricity generation thresholds within the EU Commission’s Sustainable Finance Taxonomy proposal, suggesting it fails to provide sufficient support to fossil gas generation needed to remove coal power.
In response to a Bank of England analysis which indicated that climate risks could be as severe as the 2007-2009 financial crisis, the Bank Policy Institute published a blog post suggesting that this analysis was overstating the risk. They argue that “there is a concern that banking regulators may be tempted to make those scenarios more severe in somewhat arbitrary ways.”
At a business forum in California, CalChamber CEO Jennifer Barrerat appeared to support a market-based response to climate change over government regulation. According to a January 19th local news article, Barrera seemed to oppose state climate policies and advocated for private sector solutions toward reducing carbon.
Euractiv reported that Eurofer does not support the EU Parliament rapporteur for the EU Emissions Trading System reform Peter Liese’s proposal for phased out free allowances to be placed in a reserve to be distributed to industry if the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) does not prove effective. Eurofer stated that free allocation should not be reduced before the CBAM proves itself effective.
In December 2021, Ford Motor expressed support for higher EPA greenhouse gas emissions standards in the US while General Motors stated support for the “goal” of the final rule. Stellantis appeared not to support the higher range, while the Alliance for Automotive Innovation took a mixed position.
In a January 2022 press release, the Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) opposed European Parliament amendments which would make reporting requirements under the EU Green Bond Standard mandatory for all green bonds issued in the EU
In a December 2021 report, the European Round Table for Industry appeared to support the ReFuelEU proposal, supporting its approach to sustainable aviation fuel uptake.
In a December 2021 report, the European Round Table for Industry appeared not to support reform of the EU ETS, not supporting reducing indirect cost compensation, and advocating for carbon leakage protection.
CEZ Group CEO Daniel Beneš appeared to support the European Commission’s plan to include nuclear and fossil gas in the EU’s Sustainable Finance Taxonomy and described it as “very good for the Czech Republic” in an interview with Radio Prague International.
In a Financial Times article on electric vehicle ‘holdouts’, comments from both BMW and Toyota appear to advocate against a rapid global transition to electric vehicles by promoting a longer-term role for ICE vehicles in the global energy mix.
At a conference organized by the International Emissions Trading Association a senior executive of Eurometaux advocated for carbon leakage protection measures in the EU Emissions Trading System, such as free allocation of emissions allowances, alongside a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) in the EU until 2030. It also supported excluding indirect emissions from a CBAM and the inclusion of an export rebate.
Edison Electric Institute's President Tom Kuhn announced the formation of the National Electric Highway Coalition in a December 7th press release. The coalition, which includes over 50 utilities as well as the Tennessee Valley Authority, aims to build out an electric vehicle charging network across major US transport corridors by the year 2023. In his statement, Kuhn said that the coalition’s objective is to “facilitate electric vehicle growth” and “help to encourage more customers to purchase an electric vehicle.”
Consumer Energy Alliance and API Ohio has supported a number of policies at state level designed to prevent transitioning the energy mix away from fossil fuels. Both Consumer Energy Alliance and API Ohio testified in favor of Senate Bill 176 (‘Urge Congress to Protect the Natural Gas and Oil Industry from disproportionate tax increases and other punitive measures’) in September 2021. They also both testified in favor of House Bill 201, also in Ohio, in March and May 2021, which aims to prevent local government from limiting the use of fossil gas. Finally, Consumer Energy Alliance also supported House Bill 207 in Kentucky in February 2021, which aims to prevent local governments from taking any action against the use of fossil gas.
In a December 10th press release, American Clean Power Association CEO Heather Zichal applauded Nebraska for adopting a target to decarbonize its power sector by 2050. Nebraska is the first Republican state in the U.S. to commit to net-zero electricity emissions by 2050.
A joint letter, including trade association Hydrogen Europe and numerous other companies across sectors, appears to call on European policymakers to replace stringent criteria, including the additionality principle, with more flexible approaches in the Delegated Act on Renewable Fuels from Non-biological Origin (RFNBOs) in the EU Renewable Energy Directive.
The President's Council of BusinessEurope’s Paris Declaration, signed by its national federation members including Medef and Confindustria, advocated for a “smart and stable” regulatory framework which fosters industrial competitiveness and supported carbon leakage protection measures. The Council also stated support for a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism in the EU alongside carbon leakage protection measures in the EU Emissions Trading System for an unspecified period of time until the tool has proven its effectiveness.
The American Gas Association (AGA) released a tweet on December 1st that linked to an AGA campaign against the methane fee and Zero-Emissions Homes Act provisions in the Biden administration reconciliation bill. The campaign called for Americans to contact their Senators and urge them to vote “no” on these provisions as negotiations over the bill continue.
The Business Council of Australia’s CEO Jennifer Westacott welcomed the Labor Party’s climate plan, as well as support for an increased 2030 GHG emission reduction target. While she did state support for Labor’s plan, she also stated that climate policies should ‘take advantage of Australia’s natural resources’ without stating specifics.
In a ‘Five Point Plan for Energy and Climate’, the Federation of German Industries (BDI) appeared to imply support for action to meet Germany’s 2045 climate neutrality target, stating the need for a range of measures to meet the goal. However, it also advocated for fossil gas to be recognized as a transitional activity in the Sustainable Finance Taxonomy.
BusinessEurope released a position paper on the Fit for 55 package, which supported the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive with major exceptions regarding the implementation of binding targets and the inclusion of bioenergy. It did not support several reforms to the Energy Efficiency Directive as it was unsupportive of the increase in energy savings obligations and excluding the direct use of fossil fuels to achieve energy savings.
Following the conclusion of the International Maritime Organization’s marine environment protection committee, in which a proposal for a global target of global net-zero shipping emissions by 2050 was not adopted, an Executive Vice President of MSC stated on LinkedIn that adopting a global net-zero emissions target is on his “wish list for urgent action in 2022”.
Gas sector trade association GasNaturally released a publication on the EU’s Hydrogen and Gas Decarbonization Package, which forms the second part of its Fit for 55 climate legislative package. The group appeared to support the package with some exceptions, including promoting a continued role for fossil gas in the energy mix without communicating clear conditions on the need for CCS or methane emissions abatement
FuelsEurope, in a paid advert released on POLITICO.eu, emphasized the technical challenges of electrifying transport, and argued for the extensive usage of advanced biofuels and e-fuels to decarbonize transport in the midterm, based on a study released that showed enough sustainable biomass is available to scale up production of biofuels. It also argued that usage of such biofuels would prevent mobility poverty in certain EU regions that could be created by a rapid increase in electric vehicles.
In a position paper on the EU’s Energy Taxation Directive (ETD), the International Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers (IFIEC) supported the reform with major exceptions, as it was unsupportive of the removal of exemptions for energy intensive industries and stressed it should not create additional tax burdens.
Cefic released a position paper which advocated to weaken the EU Commission’s Energy Taxation Directive proposal by maintaining exemptions for energy intensive industry and flexibilities for Member States. The association only supported environmental charges for sectors not covered by the EU Emissions Trading System.
BusinessEurope released a position paper on the Fit for 55 package, which advocated to maintain current carbon leakage protection measures in the EU Emissions Trading System in a transition period until 2030 alongside a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, when free allocation could be reduced after the policy has been proven effective. The position paper supported some aspects of the reform to the EU ETS but with major exceptions regarding the continuation of free allowances and mechanisms to reduce the emissions cap. It also suggested that the Social Climate Action Fund would reduce funding for breakthrough technologies.
The Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA) is now the Clean Energy Buyers Alliance (CEBA). According to a Greenbiz article, the name change reflects a “more holistic approach to clean energy adoption” that includes enabling climate technologies like software, storage, and data systems.
Confindustria appeared to support government regulation with exceptions in an Italian Parliamentary Hearing, supporting the objectives of the Green Deal, but warning that environmental taxation should avoid exposing companies to economic challenges if not accompanied by a plan to aid development of alternative technologies.
In a join position paper, Federation of German Industries (BDI), Confindustria and The Mouvement des entreprises de France (MEDEF) promoted fossil gas as a 'a key commodity of the decarbonization process' for decarbonization without clear conditions related to CCS or mitigating methane emissions. However, the associations also supported development of regulatory framework for climate-neutral gases within the 'Gas Package' and Hydrogen Strategy.
Major US trade associations - the US Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable, and National Association of Manufacturers - continue to oppose the US Build Back Better Act due to its corporate tax increases. The Wall Street Journal reports that an increasing number of these groups' member companies strongly support climate policy in the bill and, unlike their industry groups, refuse to lobby against its tax increases in case this tanks the chance for climate policy. At the same time, all three groups strongly supported the Bipartisan infrastructure bill and were even cited in President Biden’s speech last week commemorating its success.
Eurelectric released a position paper on the EU’s Energy Taxation Directive, in which it supported several aspects of the policy revision. The group stated support for the expansion of the scope of the policy, and suggested that the 10-year transition period for some fossil fuels should not be extended. Eurelectric also supported the phase out of tax exemptions on aviation and maritime fuels, but stressed the need for economic feasibility on the timing.
Vedanta Chairman, Anil Agarwal, argued that fossil fuels are critical to energy reliability and socio-economic development in India, alongside clean energy sources. This follows India’s role in watering down the final text of the Glasgow Climate Pact to “phase down”, rather than “phase out”, coal.
Cefic released a position paper detailing its position on the EU Commission’s proposed reform to the Energy Efficiency Directive, which supported the revision but with major exceptions. The association supported increased flexibilities for Member States to meet energy efficiency contributions, and opposed the exclusion of energy savings which could be achieved from the efficient use of fossil gas in contributing to Member States' energy savings obligations. Despite this, the group set out its support for energy efficiency legislation for buildings.
Eliot Whittington, Director of the Corporate Leaders Groups, supported ambitious follow up Nationally Determined Contributions in 2022, in a blog reflecting on the outcomes of COP26.
On October 27th, AEP, AES, and Duke Energy testified before the Ohio Public Utilities Committee in opposition to House Bill 351. The bill would repeal the coal plant subsidies enacted by the HB 6 bailout law in 2019. All three utilities advocated in favor of preserving the subsidies and had presented nearly identical statements to oppose the Senate version of the bill, SB 117, in June 2021.
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) wrote to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to express its concerns with the SEC’s recent sample letter to companies regarding climate change disclosures. The NAM cautioned the SEC against imposing new reporting requirements without following the rulemaking process and warned against extending into the “policymaking realm.”
Eurelectric, a European power sector trade group, stated support for reforms made to the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme within the EU’s Fit for 55 climate package, including higher ambition and an increase in the linear reduction factor (LRF), in a reaction paper on the policy. However, the association appeared to have a mixed position on the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism in its reaction paper on the policy. Despite, advocating for the removal of free allocations and the inclusion of the hydrogen sector's emissions in the scope of the policy, the groups appeared to state support for exceptions for exporters.
According to an Irish Times article, Renault has opposed an EU 2035 zero-emissions CO2 target, which would phase out internal combustion engines, citing the high consumer cost of EVs. Meanwhile, the Italian government wants an ICE-vehicle exemption for Ferrari and Lamborghini. BMW chief executive, and ACEA President, Oliver Zipse, has backed the proposed exemption, while Volkswagen (which owns Lamborghini) has opposed it, instead voicing its support for EVs.
In an interview with Handelsblatt, BASF CEO Martin Brudermüller and the President of the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) advocated against tightening EU targets in a statement ahead of COP26, seeming to prefer a ‘climate club’ due to the impacts on competitiveness of unilateral action. The leaders also opposed a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism in the EU.
EnBW released a COP26 page on its corporate website discussing several elements of EU climate policy. The company stated support for the reforms made to the EU ETS, in particular suggesting waiting till after 2030 to integrate emissions trading systems for the buildings and road transport sectors.
However, the company appeared to advocate against increased ambition in the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive, highlighting issues with the inclusion of new CHP high-efficiency criteria. Similarly, it supported a weakening of the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive, by suggesting the criteria for renewable hydrogen and bioenergy were too strong.
Finally, EnBW advocated for a greater role for fossil gas in EU policy. The company called for the weakening of the EU's taxonomy, particularly by including fossil gas for heating/cooling generation as a transitional activity. EnBW also suggested that the EU's Hydrogen and Gas Decarbonization Package applies too much pressure to transition away from fossil gas.
The Federation of German Industries (BDI) appears to have used support for a global carbon price to advocate for weaker EU regulations in a new position paper, arguing against a rapid phase-out of free emissions allowances in the EU ETS due to carbon leakage concerns. The position paper described the current EU CBAM proposal as vague but advocated for export rebates. The association also advocated for an expansion of fossil gas power in Germany alongside a doubling of renewable energy, on the basis that the fossil gas power stations should be “H2-ready”.
In a joint letter in October 2021, CEMBUREAU, Eurometaux and Eurofer supported the continuation of “effective” carbon leakage protection in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) in reaction to high energy prices in Europe. The joint letter also advocated for government promotion of Power Purchase Agreements and government incentives for industrial demand-response.
CEOs from multiple European utilities have signed a joint letter to European heads of state calling for a carefully managed response to the high energy price crisis. The utilities demanded an acceleration of investment in renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency measures to aid against future volatile fossil fuel prices. While also stating support for the EU’s 2030 55% GHG emission reduction target.
Corporate Leaders Group Europe, in a letter to the EU Competitiveness council, argued in favor of the EU Green Deal as an opportunity to make a success of the EU’s competitive sustainability, and advocated for sectoral roadmaps to guide industrial decarbonization. However, in the same letter it adopted an unclear position on the CBAM, appearing to highlight political and economic risks relating to its implementation.
A number of companies, including Big Tech, have come out in support of the climate provisions in the US reconciliation bill. Google and Facebook published press releases supporting the clean energy and climate provisions in the package. Amazon and Salesforce -- on twitter and in conversation with Politico, respectively -- both stated support for the climate provisions in the bill as well as the proposed increase in corporate tax rates to pay for them. Many of these examples, among others, have emerged in response to InfluenceMap’s brief on this topic.
ACI Europe, an industry association representing European airports has taken legal action at the European Commission against a French law banning domestic flights where there is a rail alternative of under 2.5 hours according to a La Tribune report. The challenge comes amidst industry concerns that other European governments will soon adopt similar measures, with industry appearing to stop a precedent across Europe.
In a social media post, Eurometaux supported the exclusion of indirect emissions from the EU Commission’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism proposal, a position energy intensive industry had lobbied for, suggesting that EU producers would have had to pay much higher costs than non-EU producers.
Gas associations, Eurogas and GasNaturally, have both taken to Twitter to advocate for the recognition of fossil gas in the transitional taxonomy, by declaring it an important and innovative technology for the energy transition.
IATA at its Annual AGM this week has for the first time announced support for net-zero global aviation emissions by 2050 through an AGM resolution, and urged ICAO member states to support a “long-term goal equivalent to the ambition of the industry”. An accompanying press release further appeared supportive of the goals of the Paris Agreement and its 1.5C global warming target. This is a major change for IATA, which since 2009 has supported only a top-line 50% reduction in global aviation emissions by 2050.
BusinessEurope’s Director General, Markus J. Beyrer, wrote a letter to the Chair of the EU Competitiveness Council this week supporting the EU’s climate ambition but appearing to stress that the transition will bring the risk of closures and carbon leakage, and emphasized the costs and challenges of the ambition. He also seemed to voice concerns regarding the impact on the competitiveness of EU industry of the Fit for 55 package.
Tesla last week directly lobbied government officials from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in a private meeting to reinstate higher Obama-era penalties for auto companies breaching CAFE standards according to a Reuters report.
Numerous major companies in the maritime value chain have signed the Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonization. The group calls for policymakers to align shipping with the Paris Agreement, advocating for the IMO to set a zero-emissions global shipping target by 2050 and deliver global policies to make zero-emission shipping "the default choice" by 2030.
The BDI President said in a Spanish article that industry would do its part on the path to climate neutrality, advocating for the next German government to proceed on decarbonization with foresight and reliability.
On Monday the EU Parliament’s industry committee will adopt its position on rules for EU energy infrastructure (TEN-E), which is likely to include loopholes enabling continued financial support for blended gas infrastructure until 2027 and continued priority status (and associated benefits except public financing) for existing priority gas projects. Gas associations representing Gazprom, Engie, RWE, SNAM, and Uniper have lobbied (example 1 and example 2) for these loopholes over the last year, and appear to have found a receptive audience across EU institutions. The Parliament committee’s support for the loopholes, however, would be particularly notable given that it was Parliament that voted in 2020 to review TEN-E in line with the EU Green Deal.
An easyJet press release this week announced support for EU policies to decarbonize aviation, including tax breaks and reductions in airport charges for zero-emissions aircraft. Additionally, the press release reiterates their support for the expansion of key EU aviation climate policies, including a proposed kerosene fuel tax, the EU ETS, and a SAF mandate, to cover all international flights within the EU.
API has reportedly spent over $1 million on an ad campaign that tells viewers Washington wants to make energy more expensive and less reliable. The association’s main issue appears to be the Methane Emissions Reduction Act, which would tax methane emissions. This opposition comes despite the API stating support for both carbon pricing and the federal regulation of methane back in February 2021 in its supposed turn-around on climate policy. It also comes despite support for both carbon pricing and methane emissions regulation from many of API’s members, including BP and Shell. The AGA has followed a similar approach in stressing how the methane tax with make energy unaffordable for consumers.
America’s Power CEO, Michelle Bloodworth, wrote a letter to the US Committee on Energy & Commerce opposing the Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP), proposed under the Build Back Better Act. The CEPP would provide federal investments and financial incentives to suppliers that deliver “clean electricity”. America’s Power criticized the CEPP as it would eliminate coal- and gas-fired electricity by 2030, which it argues is critical for energy security, energy affordability and employment in the US. The Edison Electric Institute similarly voiced concern for the “pretty aggressive” annual targets, and Exelon appears to support the CEPP if it is amended to lower the annual threshold for new clean electricity sales. The Edison Electric Institute similarly voiced concern for the “pretty aggressive” annual targets, and Exelon appears to support the CEPP if it is amended to lower the annual threshold for new clean electricity sales.
Renault are opposing a 2035 phase out date for ICE-powered vehicles in the EU, instead advocating that the date should be delayed until 2040 for hybrids.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) published a new report, accompanied by a press release, that appeared unsupportive of ambitious heavy goods vehicle (HGV) and light commercial vehicle (LCV) ICE phase out dates in the UK while supporting general incentives to decarbonize both vehicle types.
Auto Alliance announced a new EV Infrastructure Initiative Principles that generally supports the expansion of EV and hydrogen charging in the US. However, it does not appear to commit to significant policy measures beyond building codes mandating EV chargers in new residential parking spaces.
Evidence suggests major trade groups including the US Chamber of Commerce and Business Roundtable are lobbying against major climate policies included in the $3.5 trillion budget bill currently under negotiation in congress. The Chamber has openly opposed the scope and price tag of the plan, though its recent press release does not comment on climate specifically. Nevertheless, reporting by E&E suggests the trade groups are targeting specific climate provisions such as the clean energy standard and methane pricing.
Oil & Gas UK (OGUK) have released a report claiming that billions of pounds of new investment will be needed for North Sea oil and gas projects over the next five years, with a quarter of this going to unexploited “greenfield” reserves. This appears to contradict the advice of the IEA against developing unexploited oil reserves from this year onwards in order to reach net-zero by 2050, however OGUK have argued that ending investment in new domestic supply will increase reliance on imported fossil fuels.
The consultation responses to Victoria’s Gas Substitution Roadmap were released, The roadmap aims to decarbonize Victoria’s energy network in order for it to achieve it's net-zero by 2050 target. The industry-response however appears to be widely negative, with only 2 out of the 11 entities covered by InfluenceMap supporting a phase-out of natural gas, the Australian Energy Council and the Clean Energy Council, with also a general lukewarm response for hydrogen (6) and biogas (7), and an even less enthusiastic response to electrification (4).
Last week the Biden Administration announced a climate plan for the automotive sector, supporting a relatively unambitious non-binding 50% EV sales target (including hybrids) by 2030 and removing Trump-era rollbacks to CAFE standards. In a joint statement, Honda, Ford, BMW, Volkswagen, and Volvo Cars stated support for the electrification of transportation and urged the federal government to support a "strong nationwide greenhouse gas emissions standard". In a separate joint statement, Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis announced a "shared aspiration" to achieve 40-50% annual EV sales (including hybrids) by 2030 and urged the government to introduce other pro-EV policies like purchase incentives and charging infrastructure to promote EVs. Additionally, both Toyota and Hyundai released positive press responses to the proposed EV sales target.
APPEA again stated its support to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) remit being expanded to cover CCS. The move was attempted in June but lost in the senate, now the government has made minor amendments and is trying again, although it is still likely to be heavily contested in the senate once more.
Microsoft and bp America both supported the state of Washington’s Climate Commitment Act, or SB 5126, which establishes a cap-and-invest program with a binding cap on carbon emissions across all major sectors of Washington's economy. The bill is now officially law.
There has been a mixed response to the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) by Australian industry groups. ABC News reported on July 16th that Minerals Council of Australia CEO, Tania Constable, heavily criticized the CBAM stating that “achieving net-zero emissions requires a concerted effort on new technologies, not trade protection.” Ai Group CEO, Innes Willox, challenged the claim that the CBAM amounts to protectionism, and also appeared to support a “ramp down” in free emissions allowances under the mechanism, as reported by AFR on July 15th. In the same article, Carbon Market Institute CEO, John Connor, did not take a clear position on the CBAM, but warned of its indirect impact on Asian markets as other countries develop their own “punitive mechanisms” in response.
Wintershall Dea, a subsidiary of BASF, advocated for the EU to increase the role for fossil gas in the energy mix through the Fit for 55 package and did not support the revisions to the Energy Efficiency Directive or the Renewable Energy Directive. However, it did support the strengthening of the EU ETS.
BusinessEurope wrote a letter in June 2021 to the Slovenian Presidency of the European Council to negatively lobby on various Fit for 55 policies including the Energy Efficiency Directive and the Renewable Energy Directive. BusinessEurope also wrote a letter to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in June 2021 to advocate against EU ETS reforms and support a role for free allocation of emissions allowances beyond 2030. However, it supported “maintaining” the Linear Reduction Factor. It also supported a CBAM with existing carbon leakage protection measures until a global level playing field has been reached or the CBAM is fully effective.
In an Op-ed in the Scotsman, the CEO of Oil & Gas UK has defended a major new development proposed at an unexploited oil field in the North Sea. The Cambo oil field is thought to contain 800 million barrels of oil and development appears misaligned from the International Energy Agency recommendations for no new oil and gas fields from 2021, except those already approved.
CBI welcomed the EU’s Fit for 55 Package as a clear step towards climate neutrality by 2050.
In response to the EU’s Fit for 55 package, an Airlines for Europe press release emphasized concerns around costs, competitiveness, and carbon leakage and appeared unsupportive of an EU jet fuel tax and other climate policies for aviation. IATA also vocally opposed a proposed EU jet fuel tax, appeared unsupportive of including aviation in the EU ETS and qualified its support for an EU sustainable aviation fuels mandate to numerous exceptions. The FT reported that Lufthansa emphasized competitiveness concerns in response to the EU’s Fit for 55 package, arguing that the combined climate policies, “in particular a kerosene tax”, would hobble European airlines.
The US Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, and Business Roundtable along with other trade associations have launched a coalition to encourage the finalization of bipartisan infrastructure legislation. A press release announcing the Coalition for Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment lists a number of areas needing infrastructure improvement, including energy systems, but does not take a clear stance on the transition of the US energy mix or the need to include climate considerations in the final deal.
A joint letter by the Cross-Industry CEO alliance has stated support for numerous policies to reach a 55% EU GHG emissions target. This includes enhancing the EU ETS, extending it to mobility, transport, and the buildings sector, support to electrify vehicles, and a 3% buildings renovation target. This has been released a week ahead of the EU’s wider Fit-for-55 legislative package, due to be released on 14th July 2021.
Confederation of British Industry (CBI) reacted to the UK Government’s new coal phase-out date, welcoming the move but urging more action across other parts of the economy, supporting swift policy action in areas such as heat and transport.
The Coalition for Clean Energy Jobs and Innovation, which represents more than 100 organizations including SEIA and Advanced Energy Economy, sent an open letter to President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader Schumer in support of the American Jobs Plan. Specifically, the Coalition members are calling for a ten-year extension of the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) with a direct-pay option to drive clean energy deployment.
APPEA voiced its disappointment that the proposed reforms to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) that would have allowed ARENA to invest in CCS and hydrogen produced using natural gas. The Clean Energy Council warned against the changes, stating that ‘Any watering down of the ARENA or CEFC's investment mandate, allowing them to support higher emissions generation, exposes Australia's taxpayers to unacceptable risk at a time when an unequivocal message is being sent around the world to back away from publicly-funded fossil fuel projects.’
Two EU power sector trade associations released their responses to the consultation on the EU’s Hydrogen and Gas Decarbonization Package. Eurelectric stated support for the package, whilst advocating for a decline in fossil gas and increase in decarbonization of the energy mix. SolarPower Europe also supported the package, and suggested greater support for renewable hydrogen development. Both trade associations appeared to express caution for the blending of hydrogen with fossil gas. The package, set to be released in Q4 2021, forms part of the wider Fit-for-55 legislative package the EU is releasing on 14th July 2021.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, American Petroleum Institute, American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers and other trade groups submitted joint comments on June 4th and June 21st on the social cost of greenhouse gases. Their comments note how fluctuating values and assumptions underpinning SC-GHG calculations through different administrations can have an “outsized impact on regulatory policy across a very broad range of sectors and businesses.” They also emphasize uncertainty and inaccuracy in calculating SC-GHG figures and propose strong amendments to limit its scope of applicability. The Edison Electric Institute submitted its own comment with similar aims, proposing that SC-GHG figures apply only to federal regulations rather than state-level policy or project-level decision-making. Earlier this year, the Chamber urged the administration to grant trade groups a seat at the table in determining the social cost of carbon; previously, in 2017, it strongly opposed the approach, calling it “bad regulatory policy.”
MSC CEO Soren Toft in an interview with the Financial Times argued EU climate measures for shipping would increase GHG emissions, appearing to oppose including shipping in the EU ETS.
5 of the major oil sands producers, making up 90% of Canadian oil sands production, have formed the ‘Oil Sands Pathway to Net-Zero’ initiative. This alliance aims to make emissions from oil sands production net-zero by 2050, almost completely through the use of CCS. The press release notes the plan ‘"is ambitious and will require significant investment on the part of both industry and government to advance the research and development of new and emerging technologies." The alliance recognizes the growing role of renewables, however it also states the importance of fossil fuels ‘through 2050’ and also advocates for the continuation of investment tax credits.
Several gas-related trade associations released a joint statement to propose the inclusion of a binding target for renewable and decarbonized gases in the upcoming revision of the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive. However, it remains unclear to see which gases would be included in these definitions and the impact on policy stringency also remains unclear.
APPEA released a press release attempting to play down the IEA’s net-zero report. APPEA CEO Mr McConville stated that the net-zero emissions (NZE) scenario is just one possible scenario and that negative emissions will allow for the construction of future oil and gas fields.
Following the Court of Justice of the European Union’s (CJEU) ruling to close operations at the Turów coal mine in Poland on climate grounds, PGE Group’s CEO, Wojciech Dąbrowski, appears to strongly oppose the decision and describes the ruling as on a “path to a wild energy transformation”. Since the decision, PGE Group are reported to have held an emergency meeting with the Polish PM, telling them the decision is estimated to “costs at around 13.5 billion zlotys ($3.6 billion or 3 billion euros), the layoff of thousands of employees and lost investment into filters and other pro-environment modernization”. Poland has defied the EU court ruling to close the coal mine.
In a series of Tweets in 2021, Enel appears to not support blue hydrogen and hydrogen blending with natural gas as a long-term solution in the energy mix, stating that the technologies are low-carbon and not zero carbon in reference to the emissions produced. Whilst the company has also highlighted concerns with use of natural gas infrastructure for the transportation of hydrogen, in particular the additional expense, safety concerns and greater energy requirements.
Shell and ConocoPhillips both met with SEC officials at the end of April to discuss Climate Change Disclosures.
As reported in Axios, the Edison Electric Institute issued a set of qualifications around its support for a Clean Energy Standard in the US, noting that the policy must include room for natural gas, carbon capture, and other fuel forms. The discussion around a Clean/ Renewable Electricity Standard – and the extent to which it excludes certain energy sources and technologies – is likely to form an integral part of the debate around Biden’s American Jobs Plan.
A number of US companies and industry associations have met with SEC officials over the past month to discuss proposed action by the regulator on climate change disclosures.
The BDI expressed support for the new US 2030 GHG emissions target and advocated for the introduction of a common CO2 price, at least at G20 level. However, in parallel it warned against the economic impacts of mooted climate regulations from the German Green Party and appeared to oppose a more ambitious domestic German carbon tax, citing a threat to competitiveness.
American Petroleum Institute appears to have opposed a proposed ban on new gas stations in Petaluma, California. This would be the first permanent ban of this type in the USA.
BusinessEurope seems to have conceded that free allowances under the EU ETS could be phased out after the carbon border adjustment mechanism comes out of the testing phase and has proved its effectiveness, which is a shift from its previous position, where it supported the continuation of existing exemptions without exception.
A leaked EU document seen by Euractiv appears to suggest that the European Commission is reconsidering the position of gas in its sustainable finance taxonomy. The draft text puts forward to options, firstly to recognize a role for “gaseous and liquid fuels” in providing a backup role for electricity generation, secondly to create a new category recognizing “the role of gas-fired electricity generation” in grid stability. While Eurogas did not reference the leak directly, they did release a general comment highlighting the importance of gas to partner renewables and that “This could be reflected in the delegated act by establishing criteria for such enabling and transitional activities which could be classed as sustainable activities”.
InfluenceMap’s new platform tracks the climate change policy engagement activity of over 70 companies and 30 industry associations headquartered in the EU. Findings include an overall ranking for each company and industry association based on InfluenceMap’s A-to-F system of scoring, indicating support for – or opposition to – Paris-aligned climate policy. The platform also allows users to explore the links between companies and industry associations, and to examine in real time the impact of corporate and industry climate policy engagement on critical EU climate policy streams.
An analysis of industry's playbook to promote fossil gas in Europe
How Auto Parts Makers are Lobbying to Delay EU’s Decarbonization Agenda
The industry group is at odds with investors and its finance sector members on emerging US disclosure requirements
The US government is proposing a bold climate policy and fiscal spending agenda which will face its crucial test in US Congress in late September 2021. The $3.5 trillion 'Reconciliation Bill' has been described as a “once in lifetime” chance to pass meaningful climate policy in the United States.
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.
This briefing analyzes the 20 largest, US-based companies with InfluenceMap Organization Scores over 65, indicating broadly positive positioning towards climate change policy. Despite their apparent support for climate action, the majority of these companies are not publicly endorsing the Build Back Better Act.
InfluenceMap's new research looked at the 50 most economically significant companies in Australia in relation to climate change and their potential to influence climate policy. The research found that none are strategically supporting Australian climate policy in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. In contrast, nearly half of the companies assessed hold policy positions that are misaligned from the goals of the Paris Agreement. Full details are on InfluenceMap's interactive platform.
This research assesses 723 equity funds specifically marketed using ESG- and climate-related key words, with over US$330 billion in total net assets. It does so on the basis of two climate criteria (portfolio Paris Agreement alignment and fossil fuel intensity) likely to be of primary interest to investors in funds marketed in this manner.
These groups are funded by some of Europe’s largest corporations including Volkswagen Group, LafargeHolcim, TotalEnergies, Repsol, and ArcelorMittal, all of whom are now touting net-zero targets for climate, as well as supporting climate science and the UNFCCC process in the run-up to COP26.
New research shows the aviation sector has emerged as one of the strongest opponents of climate policy in Europe. While many industrial sectors are in the process of transformation in response to the EU’s strengthened climate agenda, the aviation sector has instead pursued a lobbying strategy to avoid effective regulation.
New research shows the aviation sector has emerged as one of the strongest opponents of climate policy in Europe. While many industrial sectors are in the process of transformation in response to the EU’s strengthened climate agenda, the aviation sector has instead pursued a lobbying strategy to avoid effective regulation.
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% pushing the Commission to weaken the criteria that define what can be considered sustainable.
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.
The UK Governments ambitions on transport decarbonization are likely at risk due to the influence of a minority group of automotive interests opposed to binding policy on an internal combustion engine (ICE) phase out.
European companies backing robust, science-based regulation on CO2 emissions under the EU Sustainable Finance Taxonomy are also performing better on stock markets when compared with their peers that are opposing the same policy, according to analysis of InfluenceMap's policy position scores and financial metrics from external databases.
In the final year of the Trump Administration, authorities finalized three rules which have the effect of limiting the opportunities for ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investing.
The five Big Tech companies (Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, Facebook & Microsoft) account for more than 25% of the value of the S&P500 and 20% of its Q3 2020 profits.
FinanceMap's Asset Managers and Climate Change for 2021 looks at the sector's performance on portfolios, stewardship (engagement), and shareholder resolutions.
Intensive lobbying throughout 2020 from real economy sectors has extracted significant concessions from the European Commission on its EU Sustainable Finance taxonomy.
New research from InfluenceMap shows the oil and gas sector to have dominated climate-related policy battles throughout COVID-19 crisis.
This research finds that Australia’s most influential industry associations are having an overwhelmingly negative impact on climate policy, with 75% of the groups assessed taking positions against climate regulations while promoting a pro-fossil fuel agenda. This research is part of InfluenceMap’s ongoing research on corporate climate lobbying, which feeds into investor processes globally. The results will be of prime interest to numerous asset managers and owners currently engaging on the topic with corporations operating in Australia.
This research finds that Australias most influential industry associations are having an overwhelmingly negative impact on climate policy, with 75% of the groups assessed taking positions against climate regulations while promoting a pro-fossil fuel agenda.
The research finds that the only sector where the Fed is consistently overweight on all three indicators (debt outstanding, equity values and employment) is the GISC Energy sector which contains oil/gas and coal value chain companies exclusively.
This research finds this intervention represents support of parts of the economy which may have been in secular decline prior to the pandemic, most noteably the fossil fuel energy sector.
This analysis highlights a trend whereby companies and industry groups are engaging with investors and the media by focusing attention on top-line positive statements on climate while distracting stakeholders from the important details that conversely show patterns of opposition to science-based climate policy.
New analysis from InfluenceMap has tracked significant lobbying on the EU Ecolabel since late 2018, as part of a wider ongoing research process covering the EUs Sustainable Finance Action Plan and how the corporate sector is influencing the process.
A new briefing from UK based think tank InfluenceMap shows how the European Central Bank (ECB) has embarked on its Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme (PEPP) bond buying progamme that has spent 50bn in the last three weeks.
In this briefing, InfluenceMap looks at evidence in two areas on the COVID-19 crisis' intersection with climate lobbying.
The following briefing focuses on how Japanese industry associations lobbied the Taxonomy and considers how these lobbying positions contrast with those of some leading European financial institutions.
ExxonMobil attempts to influence the European Green Deal
An analysis of how business has sought to influence this key EU policy
How the sector performs on portfolios, engagement and resolutions
The 50 Corporations Shaping the Global Climate Agenda
US Lobbyists Dominate the List of the World's Most Influential and Negative on Climate
The report identifies 118 climate-themed funds with an aggregate AUM of US$18Bn and examines the presence of fossil fuel reserves owned by the companies held by these funds.
An investor briefing on Japanese financial sector exposure to coal power
A detailed analysis of key trade groups and how they are positioning themselves for the future of climate in Europe
How the oil majors have spent $1Bn since Paris on narrative capture and lobbying on climate
In the wake of shareholder resolutions at Rio Tinto in both the UK and Australia over its links with climate-lobbying trade groups, new research from UK thinktank InfluenceMap identifies the 10 major global companies who maintain extensive networks of trade associations and lobbyists whose aggregate positions on climate are most misaligned with their own.
The polarized struggle among states for ambitious climate policy on shipping
Which global companies lead in strategic lobbying for the ambitions of Paris?
The US automotive industry, led by Ford, GM, Fiat Chrysler and Toyota, has spent millions of dollars in the last few years in an effort to dismantle a decade of policy progress on US vehicle efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions.
The last few years has seen a significant reduction in the tax North Sea operators pay to extract oil and gas, to the point where the UK Treasury is now paying the sector £24m per year to operate. The industry has achieved this by a variety of influencing tactics aimed at multiple levels of the tax policy making process.
This report looks at how corporate America has lobbied climate policy and regulations following the US election, both positively and negatively.
As BP's 2017 Energy Outlook is published, this note summarises BP's performance on climate risk disclosure and highlights climate lobbying activity.
Since the conception of the EU ETS over a decade ago, the European cement industry has succeeded in crippling the original ambition of the policy, which was to decarbonise European industry, whilst booking billions of Euros in pure profits from the allocation of credits.
This report tracks the links between the coal reserves, operating coal companies and shareholders who own these companies, showing roughly $185bn in shareholder value associated with 117 listed thermal coal producers/owners.
This report reveals how the shipping industry has aggressively lobbied the UN to obstruct climate change action for shipping, ensuring it remains the only sector in the world not currently subject to any emission reduction measures.
InfluenceMap's analysis of US auto industry lobbying shows an accelerated pattern of aggressive opposition to weaken climate-motivated policy since the election of President Donald Trump.
The global mining giant has just published a review of climate/energy misalignments between it and its key lobby groups - InfluenceMap fact checks this for accuracy and completeness.
Industry groups are key lobbying agents for business - we use our analytics to pick out the 50 most influential on climate.
InfluenceMap has identified the 50 companies most influential in shaping climate and energy policy around the world. Some of these (such as ExxonMobil) are in opposition while others (such as Apple and Unilever) are championing ambitious national-level policy to support their decarbonization plans...
In the wake of the VW scandal, a group of investors with over $1 trillion worth of investor assets queried the largest automotive manufacturers on issues related to crucial greenhouse gas emissions standards in the US and the EU. This initiative was coordinated by UK non-profits ShareAction and InfluenceMap.
The following is a public report-back to investor signatories along with analysis and recommendations for future querying of the automotive sector to the wider investment community. Read the Financial Times coverage of this report.
Is the Volkswagen scandal the tip of the iceberg? Investors and engagers concerned with climate issues may be inclined to look more closely at this sector in light of the recent regulatory risks exposed by VW as the scandal spreads from diesel to CO2 emissions.
The energy majors' strategy (Shell, BP and Total) leading up to Paris 2015 is to call for a price on carbon. Behind the scenes, however, all are systematically obstructing the very laws that would enable a meaningful price.
In light of the ExxonMobil case, we queried our database to see what the top 20 US industrial companies are saying about climate risk to regulators and investors.
New analysis, requested by the Greens/EFA Group within the European Parliament, reveals a strong correlation between the obstructionist attitudes of key automotive manufacturers toward EU NOx policy and the position of the member states that they manufacture in.
InfluenceMap's scoring system observed a flurry of pro-climate policy activity immediately prior to and following COP21 in Paris. This so-called “Paris effect” means that over half the global 100 industrial companies are now advocating for emissions reductions in line with 2C.
Research by InfluenceMap reveals the California based tech giant's pledges on the use of renewable energy are backed up by its calls to policy makers to push through ambitious climate change policy and legislation. Apple tops our current scoring with its recent support of ambitious climate policy and is the first to score an "A" in our system.
Research suggests ExxonMobil spent $27m and Shell $22m to obstruct climate legislation in 2015, with the American Petroleum Institute and two smaller trade associations spending a further $74m on behalf of the entire industry.
The clear trend is greater disclosure by the oil/gas industry of regulatory risk posed by climate policy with emphasis of a likely shift following the Paris Agreement. Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and Valero Energy all imply that significant regulatory risk at the national levels is on the horizon after COP21.
InfluenceMap's detailed analysis shows that BusinessEurope appears to be misrepresenting European Business on climate issues.
Issues surrounding climate disclosure investigations by the New York Attorney General into ExxonMobil may be pervasive in the industry.
A year on from Paris, France comes top in the analysis of the G7 countries but there is significant misalignment among other members on their commitment to phase out fossil fuel subsidies by 2025.
New research by InfluenceMap finds that the European cement industry is not disclosing the financial risks it would face in response to a meaningful price on carbon, while continuing to undermine regulations that would enable such a price.
How taxpayer's funding is being spent on diesel subsidies worth almost £260m
This report examines Japan's plans to expand coal both domestically and in Southeast Asia against global trends of accelerated renewable electricity capacity. It finds this strategy is misaligned with the strategic interests of Japan's technology-based industries.
