We have expanded the list of climate policies we assess company engagement with to incorporate land-use related policy, referring to legislative or regulatory measures to enhance and protect ecosystems and land where carbon is being stored. Assessments under this category are currently underweighted in terms of their contribution to the overall company metrics. This weighting will be progressively increased over the next 6 months.
We adjusted the terminology used to describe the queries running down the left-hand side of our scoring matrix and added additional explanatory text to the info-boxes. This has no impact on the scores and methodology. It has been done following user feedback to improve clarity.
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
A senior executive of Bosch is a CLEPA board member in 2022
Markus Heyn
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Stefan Hartung, a senior executive of Bosch (now CEO), was a CLEPA board member.
Stefan Hartung
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
A senior executive of Bosch is a CLEPA board member in 2022
Markus Heyn
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Stefan Hartung, a senior executive of Bosch (now CEO), was a CLEPA board member.
Stefan Hartung
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.
Open PDF file of Data Source
Climate Lobbying Overview: Bosch has mixed engagement on EU climate policy. Despite positive top-line communications on long-term climate ambition, the company has previously advocated against higher EU CO2 standards for vehicles in 2020-21, although evidence from September 2021 suggests a more positive position. The company has also strongly advocated for climate policy that favors the use of e-fuels rather than promoting the electrification of transportation.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Bosch has communicated support for climate action consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement. In its 2020 Sustainability Report, released in 2021, the company expressed support for GHG emissions reductions in line with 2°C, while former Bosch CEO, Volkmar Denner, further advocated for GHG emissions reductions in line with 1.5°C target in a September 2019 blog. Bosch showed high-level support for the EU's Fit for 55 climate legislative package in a December 2021 joint letter to EU policymakers, and also appeared to support the EU's Green Deal and 2050 targets in an October 2020 consultation response. Moreover, the company has stated support for the Paris Agreement in its 2020 Sustainability Report and in an October 2020 EU consultation response.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: Despite Bosch’s top-line support for climate action, the company appears to have mixed positions on specific climate-related regulations, and is engaging on several specific climate-related policy issues in a manner that is opposed to higher climate ambition. In a June 2020 EU consultation response, Bosch appeared to support increasing the EU's economy-wide 2030 GHG emissions reduction target to 50%, but specified that e-fuels (liquid synthetic fuels produced by combining hydrogen and carbon) should be included in the EU strategy. However, in a November 2020 consultation response, Bosch advocated for less stringent EU CO2 standards for cars and vans, while also supporting a “voluntary crediting system for renewable and carbon-neutral fuels (including eFuels) in the CO2 fleet standards”, potentially weakening the stringency of the regulation further. In a February 2021 consultation response, Bosch directly advocated to policymakers to oppose a zero-emissions 2035 EU CO2 target for cars and vans, stating that “incentivizing ZLEV as part of the CO2 fleet regulation is not appropriate”. Additionally, in April 2021 meeting notes between EU DG Clima and Bosch (accessed via a Freedom of Information request) Bosch appeared unsupportive of higher EU CO2 targets for light duty vehicles, emphasizing the “time needed for the transition to zero-emission mobility in order to avoid disruptive changes in the automotive suppliers industry and preserve employment”. However, a speech from former Bosch CEO, Volkmar Denner in September 2021 suggests a potential shift in position from the company, stating that the company would “go along with” the higher 2030 and 2035 CO2 targets for cars and vans set by the European Commission.
Bosch is also actively engaged on EU renewable energy legislation. In a February 2021 EU consultation response, the company advocated for an increase in the EU’s renewable energy targets to at least 40% by 2030 that would be binding at both EU and national levels. Bosch also specifically pushed for the inclusion of both renewable and ‘low-carbon’ fuels in the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive targets and sub-targets, despite the legislation’s specific focus on developing Europe’s renewable energy capacity.
Bosch also appears to support the inclusion of road transport in the EU Emission Trading System (EU ETS), as communicated by the company in June 2020 and November 2020 EU consultation responses. In a February 2021 EU consultation response, Bosch reiterated this position. In the same consultation response, Bosch further advocated for the extension of the EU ETS to cover maritime transport.
Positioning on Energy Transition: Bosch has consistently advocated for a technology-neutral approach to climate neutrality over policies promoting the electrification of transportation, for example in its 2021 CDP response. In December 2020, Bosch was one of several automotive sector brands that commissioned a report disputing the climate benefits of EVs, following the UK's declaration to end the sale of ICE vehicles from 2030. Bosch has instead promoted the use of e-fuels, for example in November 2020, and October 2020 EU consultation responses, where it also advocated to promote the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquid natural gas (LNG) in road transport. Additionally, in a June 2020 consultation response, Bosch stated that natural gas should continue to be used as a transition fuel but be phased out after 2030 at the latest. Former Bosch CEO, Volkmar Denner, was particularly vocal in promoting a long-term role for ICE vehicles and e-fuels over the electrification of transportation. In an April 2021 Financial Times article, Denner asserted that “climate action is not about the end of the internal-combustion engine” and accused the EU of being focused on the “short-term objective” of eradicating combustion engines, while “shying away from talking about the consequences this will have on employment”.
Industry Association Governance: Bosch has disclosed information on some of its industry association engagement in its 2020 Sustainability Report, however, the company does not have a clearly identifiable, dedicated disclosure of its indirect climate-related lobbying activities. Bosch has not published an audit of its alignment with its industry associations. The company retains memberships to a number of groups known to be oppositional to climate regulation, including the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. A senior executive of Bosch is on the board of the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA), which has actively opposed ambitious climate policy in the EU, particularly the proposed 2035 zero-emissions target for cars and vans.