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.
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) is negatively engaged on a wide range of US climate policies. In particular, AFPM appears to oppose policies intended to aid the electrification of transport and the phase out of internal combustion engined (ICE) vehicles. AFPM also actively opposed the climate provisions in both the Inflation Reduction Act and the Build Back Better Act in recent years.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: AFPM does not clearly support climate policy in its top-line messaging. Although it states support for policies to tackle climate change on its association website as of February 2024, it issues significant caveats, emphasizing the need for policy to protect US competitiveness and to be “flexible” and “achievable”. Its website, accessed in February 2024, states support for the “aspiration” of the Paris Agreement.
Engagement with Climate-Related Policy: AFPM is strategically engaged in opposition to specific climate policies related to the phase out of internal combustion engined (ICE) vehicles or the use of products derived from fossil fuels. While its corporate website states support for fuel efficiency standards, at the expense of electrification policies, it has also opposed policy related to improving fuel efficiency. In October 2023 US federal regulatory comments AFPM opposed proposed Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards and challenged the government's legal authority to enforce the rule.
AFPM also opposes greenhouse gas reduction standards and policy. Its website, accessed in February 2024, states its opposition to “unrealistic” emissions targets. The association has repeatedly opposed the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) GHG emissions standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles MY 2027+, including in a joint letter to the speaker of the house in December 2023, a joint letter to President Biden in July 2023, and comments to the EPA in July 2023. Additionally, AFPM also opposed the EPA's proposed Phase 3 GHG emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles in June 2023 comments and testimony to the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Subcommittee, stating the proposal is unlawful. AFPM has also previously opposed methane regulation for the oil and gas sector, such as in January 2022 when the association did not support the EPA’s proposed methane regulation through its stated support of comments by the American Petroleum Institute. Similarly, in a September 2021 news release, AFPM stated opposition for the proposed methane fee in the Build Back Better Act.
AFPM has repeatedly criticized the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). AFPM gave testimony at a January 2023 hearing which it opposed the 2023-2025 standards for the RFS program while in a December 2022 blog post, it opposed the Biden administration’s changes to the RFS program, a position reiterated by AFPM CEO Chet Thompson in a June 2022 news release.
Positioning on Energy Transition: AFPM does not support the transition of the energy mix. In particular, the association does not appear to support the electrification of transport and policies that aim to phase out ICE vehicles. On its corporate website, accessed in February 2024, it states opposition to policy that “artificially support” electric vehicles. In February 2024, AFPM launched a campaign across several states to raise opposition to the phase out of ICE vehicles. The association has also opposed proposals from several states including New Jersey, Virginia, Maine and New Mexico from adopting California’s California’s Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) standards which encourages the electrification of light & medium duty vehicles. AFPM also opposed the Inflation Reduction Act provisions of taxing crude oil, the methane pollution fee, and the EV tax credit in an August 2022 blog post. Similarly, in July 2022 the association opposed the proposed zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate in New York in direct comments on the Climate Draft Scoping Plan.
Beyond transport, AFPM does not appear to support the transition of the broader energy mix. For example, AFPM CEO Chet Thopmson tweeted in support of increasing domestic oil production in June 2022. AFPM also appears to strongly support the development of fossil fuel infrastructure. On its website as of February 2024, AFPM supports continued use of pipeline infrastructure and in September 2023 the association tweeted its support for Line 3 pipeline.
This summary was last updated in Q1 2024