Climate Lobbying Overview: Air Liquide is actively engaging on climate change policy in the EU and US, and appears to take mixed positions on regulation. The company strongly promotes the role of green and blue hydrogen in the energy mix, but appears unsupportive of increasing the ambition of several key climate policies in the EU such as the EU Emissions Trading System.

Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Air Liquide appears mostly supportive of action on climate change in its top-line messaging. In the company’s 2021 Universal Registration Document, it supported achieving net zero by 2050 in line with IPCC recommendations to keep global warming below 1.5°C. Furthermore, in March 2022 the CEO of American Air Liquide Holdings Michael Graff voiced support for the US net-zero by 2050 target in an official testimony before the US Senate. Air Liquide also welcomed the EU’s Fit for 55 package in response to an EU consultation in November 2021. However, in its 2021 CDP Climate Change Disclosure, the company stated that unilateral EU regulatory costs are burdensome and hamper the international competitiveness of EU industry. In its 2021 Universal Registration Document, Air Liquide supported the UN Paris Agreement.

Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: Air Liquide takes mixed positions on climate regulations. In response to an EU public consultation in November 2021, the company supported some reforms to increase the ambition of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) proposed by the EU Commission in the Fit for 55 package, but was unsupportive of a proposal to make the free allocation of emissions allowances conditional on corporate decarbonization efforts. In an earnings call in July 2021, the CEO Benoît Potier supported a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism in the EU alongside existing free allowances in the EU ETS, a position which contradicts the EU Commission’s proposal.

In response to an EU public consultation in November 2021, Air Liquide voiced support for the EU Commission’s proposed reforms to increase the ambition of the Energy Efficiency Directive, on the condition that mandatory audits are “manageable and workable.” The company was supportive of a sub-mandate for e-fuels within the sustainable aviation fuels mandate in the ReFuelEU initiative in response to a public consultation in November 2021. However, Air Liquide advocated to include low-carbon hydrogen, produced with fossil gas and CCS, in the renewable hydrogen target in the EU Commission’s proposal for a reform of the Renewable Energy Directive in response to a public consultation in November 2021.

Positioning on Energy Transition: Air Liquide seems to support the energy transition, and has strongly promoted the role of hydrogen, but has adopted more mixed positions in relation to transport decarbonization. In its 2021 Sustainability Report, the company supported “renewable and low-carbon” hydrogen as a driver of the energy transition and the decarbonization of society. In response to a public consultation on the Hydrogen and Gas Markets Decarbonisation Package in March 2021, it advocated for a role for both green hydrogen and low-carbon or ‘blue’ hydrogen produced with methane and CCS. In relation to the transport sector, Air Liquide has advocated for higher ambition regarding hydrogen infrastructure in the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) in an April 2022 open letter. However, in the same month the company also signed an Open Letter to EU Policymakers strongly advocating against measures to support the electrification of transportation in the EU, specifically advocating against the role of electromobility in the EU’s efforts to reduce GHG emissions.

Air Liquide supported the promotion of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen in the Energy Taxation Directive in response to an EU public consultation in November 2021, but did not support the phase out of exemptions for energy intensive industries. However, it advocated for more ambitious hydrogen refueling targets in comments on the EU Commission’s proposed reform of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive in November 2021. In March 2021, in an interview with H2 View, Air Liquide Vice President Mike Graff advocated for policies to support the development of low-carbon and renewable hydrogen in the US.

Industry Association Governance:Air Liquide does not appear to publish a complete list of industry associations, with the most recent disclosure in its 2021 Universal Registration Document. It did not disclose further details of the company's role within each organization's governing bodies, nor their climate change policy positions. Air Liquide has not published a review of alignment with its industry associations. The company retains a number of strong links to organizations that are engaging negatively on climate policy. A senior executive is on the board of the National Association of Manufacturers and the US Chamber of Commerce.

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 Q4 2022.