Fifty-eight percent of the world’s largest companies’ climate policy lobbying activities are at odds with their public climate commitments, according to a new study by InfluenceMap. Ahead of COP28 in Dubai, the NGO assessed 293 companies from the Forbes 2000 list, identifying companies that have set net zero or similar climate targets, and how they have engaged with climate policy directly, through position papers, and industry associations. The findings identified a major rift between pledges and subsequent lobbying practices, with 21.5% of assessed companies at “significant risk” and 36.5% at “moderate risk” of greenwashing, despite the fact 93% of companies reference ‘net zero’ or similar terms on their webpages. Companies assessed include Chevron, Glencore and ExxonMobil. Will Aitchison, Director at InfluenceMap, said: “Governments are failing to progress climate policy at the speed needed, and corporate influence is a key reason why. Unless companies match their climate commitments with ambitious support for government-led policy action, the Paris Agreement goals will be impossible to reach.”
