Who is making climate policy?
Critical Analysis
According to the data from InfluenceMap above, what is company has the most negative influence on climate policy in the world?
How many of these companies do you and your family support or buy products from?
The 2022 Climate Policy Footprint identifies the 25 most negative and influential corporations globally. It combines assessments from InfluenceMap’s recognized platform for assessing corporate climate policy engagement with indicators to the judge relative economic and political clout of each company. How many of the 10 companies in the visual above, with the most negative influence on climate policy are from the US?
Why would a company or organization want to have a negative influence on climate policy (which would lead to increasing concentrations of carbon in the atmosphere, and increasingly destructive climate change)?
Both the International Energy Agency (IEA) and The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have stressed the need for decisive policy interventions by governments around the world to drive the energy transition and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Despite this urgent, science-based guidance, the policy plans of the world’s governments remain misaligned from global climate goals. According to the International Energy Agency’s Net Zero by 2050 report, under current policies globally, we are on track for +2.7C of warming by 2100 (with 50% probability). According to Reuters, warming of 2.7°C would deliver "unliveable heat" for parts of the year across areas of the tropics and subtropics. Biodiversity would be enormously depleted, food security would drop, and extreme weather would exceed most urban infrastructure's capacity to cope, scientists said. Using the visuals below*, in your own words, describe a world with +2.7C warming.
An industry association - also known as trade association, industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body - is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry. An industry association participates in public relations activities such as advertising, education, publishing, lobbying, and political donations, but its focus is collaboration between companies. According to the data in the chart above, what industry association has the most negative impact on climate policy?
Last year, two lobbying groups for the oil and gas industry have bombarded Facebook with hundreds of ads opposing climate legislation in Congress that have been viewed 23 million times. The American Petroleum Institute and the American Gas Association have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the ads to attack legislation to fight climate change. Describe some of the methods industry associations and industries use to try to influence public opinion and public policy?
What methods do individual citizens use to try to influence policy?
Make a claim about whether industry associations or individual citizens have more influence over climate policy?
Based on the visual below*, what companies have the most positive influence on climate change policy?
Learning Extension
Download the full report.
Action Extension
Individuals can influence policy by voting, campaigning for a candidate or issue, donating money, influencing others, signing petitions, attending rallies, marches, and strikes among other forms of civic engagement. Take one action to try to positively impact climate change and share your results with your class.
