Scored evidence collected on an entity's engagement with land-use and circular economy policy will now be fully weighted into the final calculations for each entity's metrics. This follows a two year process where InfluenceMap has evolved its methodology to collect evidence on corporate and industry engagement with these key areas of climate-related policy.
We have strengthened the algorithm for discounting the impact older evidence on an organization's top-line metrics. Evidence from within the last two years is weighted the strongest and then gradually weighted out of the scoring calculations as it gets older. All evidence that is 5 years or older is completely removed from the scoring calculations. Users will still be able to view older evidence items that are archived the scoring matrix below, but these will not be impacting the organization's current scores.
In this section, we depict graphically the relationships the corporation has with trade associations, federations, advocacy groups and other third parties who may be acting on their behalf to influence climate change policy. Each of the columns above represents one relationship the corporation appears to have with such a third party. In these columns, the top, dark section represents the strength of the relationship the corporation has with the influencer. For example if a corporation's senior executive also held a key role in the trade association, we would deem this to be a strong relationship and it would be on the far left of the chart above, with the weaker ones to the right. Click on these grey shaded upper sections for details of these relationships. The middle section contains a link to the organization score details of the influencer concerned, so you can see the details of its climate change policy influence. Click on the middle sections for for details of the trade associations. The lower section contains the organization score of that influencer, the lower the more negatively it is influencing climate policy.
Climate Lobbying Overview: National Grid is actively engaged on climate policy, with evidence of advocacy in the EU, UK, and the US, including at the state-level in Massachusetts and New York. The company engages with a mix of positive and negative positions, advocating for net-zero infrastructure in the UK while opposing state-level building decarbonization proposals in the US. National Grid is a member of the American Gas Association and Gas Infrastructure Europe, both of which strategically advocate for fossil gas infrastructure.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: National Grid’s top-line messaging on climate policy is positive. As stated in its Climate Transition Plan report published in June 2023, the company supports global emissions reductions in line with a 1.5°C target. In December 2023, the company signed a joint letter that advocated for governments to increase investments toward climate. National Grid also appeared to advocate for greater ambition in the UNFCCC process, lamenting in a January 2023 interview with Climate Action that the COP27 final agreement “didn’t set out more ambitious action to cut emissions.”
Engagement with Climate-Related Policy: National Grid demonstrates a mix of positions on EU and US climate policy. In the EU, the company submitted February 2023 comments that did not seem to fully support the Electricity Market Design reform. In the US, National Grid submitted October 2022 individual comments and joint comments in support of the Department of Energy’s energy conservation standards for gas and propane furnaces. The company also filed a June 2022 joint motion to intervene in the US Court of Appeals case Ohio v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to defend the Biden Administration’s reinstatement of the California Clean Air Act waiver. The company demonstrated inconsistent positions, however, EPA’s methane regulations, submitting January 2022 individual and joint comments in support of the proposal while taking a more negative position in joint comments with the Class of ‘85 Regulatory Response Group.
Positioning on Energy Transition: National Grid takes a mix of positions on the energy transition, supporting clean energy infrastructure while advocating for a long-term role for fossil gas. In its annual report published in May 2023, the company’s Chair, Paula Rosput Reynolds, stated that “the energy transition will take time” and stressed the importance of fossil gas. These positions are reflected in National Grid’s engagement on federal and state decarbonization policies in the US. The company submitted February 2024 comments that opposed the proposed guidance for implementing the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean hydrogen tax credit, as well as May 2024 joint comments that advocated against the EPA proposing a stringent carbon standard for existing gas-fired power plants. In New York, the company heavily engaged during the drafting of the New York Climate Scoping Plan in 2022, submitting at least ten statements during the public comment period that pushed back on the building electrification proposals. However, in the UK, National Grid released a May 2023 report that called for the country to enact more ambitious policy to build out clean energy infrastructure and reduce the country’s reliance on imported fossil gas.
Industry Association Governance: National Grid published an industry association review in March 2024. The company retains membership to the Edison Electric Institute and Gas Infrastructure Europe, both of which advocate for fossil gas infrastructure. National Grid serves on the 2024 Board of Directors for American Gas Association, a highly obstructive group that continues to oppose building electrification measures in the US.
A detailed assessment of the company's corporate review on climate policy engagement can be found on InfluenceMap'sCA100+ Investor Hub here.
InfluenceMap collects and assesses evidence of corporate climate policy engagement on a weekly basis, depending on the availability of information from each specific data source (for more information see our methodology). While this analysis flows through to the company’s scores each week, the summary above is updated periodically. This summary was last updated in Q3 2024.