Responsible Policy Engagement Analysis 2022
Ceres
This report examines the climate-related risk management, governance and lobbying practices of S&P 100 companies. It finds that the nation’s largest publicly traded companies are increasingly lobbying for policies that will help the U.S. achieve its commitments under the Paris Agreement. However, very few are publicly reckoning with the role of their own trade associations in obstructing climate action.
Intended to help companies find their voice as climate advocates and give investors actionable insight into best practices and performers, the Ceres Responsible Policy Engagement Analysis 2022 benchmarks S&P 100 companies against the expectations laid out in the Ceres Blueprint for Responsible Policy Engagement on Climate Change. The Blueprint, released in 2020, outlines tactics companies must adopt in order to:
- Assess their climate-related business risks
- Systematize decision-making for climate risks
- Advocate in support of Paris-aligned policy, and
- Engage trade associations to support Paris-aligned policy
The analysis found significant progress compared to last year in the number of large, publicly traded companies advocating for climate action, as half of the benchmarked companies lobbied in support of at least one Paris-aligned climate policy during the last three years. Despite the progress on climate-related lobbying, the analysis still found signs of weakness in this area.