Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: Sinopec is strategically engaged on climate policy with a mix of positive and negative positions. While Sinopec supports China’s 2030 carbon peak and 2060 carbon neutrality targets, carbon tax, emissions trading, and renewable energy, it also actively advocates for fossil fuel exploration and infrastructure. The company has limited transparency on its policy engagement through industry associations.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Sinopec has positive, albeit limited top-line communication on climate policy. In a May 2024 blog post, Sinopec Economics & Development Research Institute (EDRI), Sinopec's think tank, appeared supportive of China’s 2030 carbon peak and 2060 carbon neutrality targets.
Engagement with Climate-Related Policies: Sinopec appears broadly supportive of carbon tax, emissions trading, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and GHG emissions policy in China. In a March 2025 NBD article, the chairman of Sinopec, Ma Yongsheng, advocated for policy to support the development of a waste rubber recycling system in China. In a July 2024 blog post, Sinopec EDRI called for companies to align with the government's Methane Emission Control Action Plan to control national methane emissions. In a June 2024 blog post, Sinopec EDRI supported implementing a carbon tax in China. In an April 2024 press release, Sinopec supported China's national carbon market to aid decarbonization. Additionally, as reported by Sina News in March 2024, the chairman of Sinopec advocated for policy support for the development and utilization of deep geothermal energy.
Positioning on Energy Transition: Sinopec takes a mix of positive and negative positions on the energy transition, by appearing supportive of geothermal energy and green hydrogen whilst actively advocating for the expansion of fossil fuel exploration and infrastructure, including unconventional oil and gas. In its 2024 Social Responsibility Report, published in May 2025, Sinopec advocated for CCS in enhanced oil recovery as a justification to continue oil extraction. As reported by NBD in March 2025, the chairman of Sinopec, Ma Yongsheng, advocated for easing restrictions on refined oil exports and continuing to use oil as chemical feedstocks without stating need for carbon capture and storage technologies. In its 2024 Sustainability Report, published in March 2025, Sinopec advocated for a continued role of fossil gas, without placing clear conditions on the need for CCS or methane emission abatement. In its June 2024 blog post, Sinopec EDRI advocated for new exploration and production of gas, infrastructure, investments or other systems that will lock in unabated fossil gas, including floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG). As reported by China News in March 2024, Sinopec advocated for policy and financial support for shale oil exploration in a policy proposal submitted at the Two Sessions.
However, in a March 2025 CPNN article, Sinopec also submitted a policy proposal at the Two Sessions, advocating in favor of policy or other systems that aid hydrogen produced from renewable energy for use in heavy industry or hard-to-abate sectors. In Sinopec's 2023 Sustainability Development Report, published in June 2024, the chairman of Sinopec supported a move towards decarbonization of the economy. In the same report, the company also supported hydrogen produced from renewable energy for use in the refining and petrochemical industry. In a June 2024 blog post, Sinopec EDRI supported the use of low-carbon ammonia in transport, heavy industry, and power generation with ambiguity around decarbonizing its production. Sinopec also called for government policy and financial incentives to support the development of geothermal power in a policy proposal submitted at the Two Sessions, as reported by 21 Century News in March 2024.
Industry Association Governance: As of July 2025, Sinopec disclosed some of its industry association memberships in its 2024 Sustainability Report. However, the disclosure does not include the associations’ policy engagement activities. InfluenceMap has identified that Sinopec is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation (CPCIF) and the International Gas Union (IGU). IATA has negatively engaged with ambitious climate policy for aviation at global, regional, and national levels. CPCIF and IGU appear to advocate for policies in favor of fossil fuels in the energy mix.
Additional Note: Sinopec is a listed company with more than 50% of its shares owned by the government of China. State-owned enterprises likely retain channels of direct and private engagement with government officials that InfluenceMap is unable to assess, and therefore are not represented in Sinopec's engagement intensity metric.
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 2025.