Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: ABB appears generally supportive of policy action on climate change from 2021-23. ABB has consistent positive top-line messaging on climate change, appears supportive of legislation to promote energy efficiency, and has communicated support for the electrification and decarbonization of transportation.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: ABB has positive top-line communications on climate change. ABB supported the EU 2050 targets and Green Deal in its 2021 CDP Climate Change Disclosure, and supported the UN Paris Agreement in a May 2022 open letter. In a September 2021 joint letter, the company advocated for a zero-emissions target for shipping by 2050 at the UN International Maritime Organization. In the United States, ABB signed several open letters, supporting the climate provisions in the Build Back Better Act in February 2022 and advocating to Congress and President Biden to enact climate investments through budget reconciliation in July 2022.
Engagement with Climate-Related Policy: ABB appears to have positive engagement with climate-related policy. The company signed an open letter in May 2022 supporting a more ambitious EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) reform. ABB also supported the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in Virginia, asking the General Assembly to “stay the course on these important policies”, in a January 2022 open letter. A joint letter signed by the CEO in May 2022 strongly supported a more ambitious Energy Efficiency Directive review, Renovation Wave and Energy Performance of Buildings Directive reform. ABB also signed an open letter in January 2022 supporting the Virginia Clean Cars vehicle fuel economy standards.
In December 2022, the company signed an open letter expressing support for speeding up renewable energy permitting and accelerating existing renewable energy projects. ABB expressed support for the clean energy tax credits in the US Inflation Reduction Act in a press release in August 2022, while the CEO supported a more ambitious reform of the EU Renewable Energy Directive in a May 2022 joint letter. In comments submitted in February 2023 to the Environment Protection Agency, ABB supported the Methane Regulation Supplemental Proposal, including advocating for inclusion of all wells and monitoring of methane emissions at all sites. In March 2023, ABB signed a joint letter advocating for EU states to adopt a stringent EU zero-emissions 2035 CO2 target for cars and vans without an e-fuels loophole.
Positioning on Energy Transition: ABB appears to have mostly positive positioning on the energy transition. Regarding transportation, ABB supported high electric charging infrastructure targets in the revision of the EU's Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) in its 2021 Sustainability Report, published in March 2022, as well as advocating for the phase-out of the internal combustion engine and a complete transition to EV sales in the EU by 2035 in a May 2022 joint letter. In its 2022 CDP disclosure, the company supported the AFIR revision to further roll out electromobility charging infrastructure. In the US, the company strongly advocated for adopting the Advanced Clean Trucks policy in Illinois, by signing an open letter in December 2022. ABB also directly advocated for policymakers to support Nevada Assembly Bill 184, which creates a Clean Trucks and Buses Incentive program for the state, in June 2023 written testimony to the State Senate committee. The company supported infrastructure and investments that aid the development of hydrogen, but without specifying its production method or intended use, in its 2022 CDP disclosure.
Industry Association Governance: ABB does not provide a clear public disclosure of its membership in industry associations on its website, and it has not published a review of its alignment with its industry associations. ABB is a direct member of the American Petroleum Institute and Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA), both of which have consistently opposed ambitious climate policy in the US and Australia. In the EU, ABB memberships include the European Roundtable for Industry (ERT), which has mixed but increasingly positive engagement on climate policy, and WindEurope, which has consistently lobbied for more ambitious EU climate policy.
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 2023.