Thursday, September 14, 2017

The Lobby

The UK think-tank InfluenceMap has ranked the 50 companies that are most influential in shaping climate policy around the world. Thirty-five of them are trying to block efforts to fight climate change. Most of these are fossil fuel companies or heavy energy users, such as energy corporation Chevron, chemical company BASF and multinational Koch Industries.

Globally, efforts to fight climate change have been the subject of intensive lobbying by businesses hoping that the transition to renewable energy will be made in a way that boosts their bottom lines. For some, this has meant opposing climate legislation. Others want to steer policy so they can benefit. Some of these, like Apple and Unilever, are championing policies that support their own decarbonization plans. Others, such as oil and gas behemoth, ExxonMobil, are in opposition.

 "The data shows the climate policy agenda, in terms of corporate influencing, is being driven by a small number of massive global corporations," says InfluenceMap Executive Director Dylan Tanner. "It also shows a group of powerful companies in the tech, consumer goods and utilities sectors increasingly pushing for policy to implement the Paris Agreement."

Ford, GM and BMW are deemed to not be supportive of climate action and the research found that some companies lobbied to delay or water down vehicle efficiency and emissions standards in Europe and North America.


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