Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: CSX Corp (CSX) appears to have very low engagement with US climate policy, with limited evidence and disclosure of its recent climate policy positioning and engagement in 2018-22. Historically, CSX appears to have funded organizations promoting climate change denial, including America’s Power (formerly ACEEE), of which it no longer appears to be a member as of 2022.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: CSX Corp's top-line messaging on its corporate website as of 2022 appears to recognize some of the science of climate change. CSX’s communications around climate change in its 2020 ESG report do not take a clear position on IPCC-aligned emissions reductions. CSX has not disclosed clear positions on the Paris Agreement or climate regulations in its top-line messaging.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: In 2018-22, CSX appears to have had limited engagement with US climate policy. CSX does not seem to disclose its positions towards, or engagement with, climate policy on its website. In a Q4 2018 Senate Lobbying Disclosure, the company disclosed it had engaged on the Clean Power Plan, although with an unspecified position.
Positioning on Energy Transition: CSX appears to have limited disclosure on the energy transition in 2018-20, although messaging on its corporate website in 2020 suggests support for fracking. In 2017 CSX’s former CEO, Hunter Harrison, stated that “fossil fuels are dead. That’s a long-term view. It’s not going to happen overnight. It’s not going to be in two or three years. But it’s going away, in my view.” This statement appears more supportive of the energy transition compared to previous communications, with CSX’s former CEO Michael Ward communicating in 2016, referring to Donald Trump, that “we certainly like his policy on coal."
Industry Association Governance: CSX does appear to publicly disclose a list of its memberships to industry associations on its website, but without clarity on policy positions and its influence within associations. The company discloses the membership of only one trade association in its 2021 CDP response. CSX has not published a review of its alignment with its industry associations.