Climate Lobbying Overview: Devon Energy Corporation (Devon Energy) appears to have broadly negative engagement on climate change, with limited evidence of engagement on specific climate policies. The company has consistently promoted a continued role for oil and fossil gas in the energy mix and remains a member of a number of highly negative industry associations.

Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Devon Energy’s top-line positions on climate change appear mixed. Devon’s corporate website, accessed in August 2022, stated that the company engages “proactively to find sensible public policy solutions”, without referencing climate specifically. According to a lobbying disclosure report from 2021, Devon appears to have engaged with policymakers on the Build Back Better Act, without disclosing a position or any engagement on its climate provisions specifically. The company’s 2020 ESG Report, published in October 2020, acknowledged the global warming potential of methane and carbon dioxide. However, the company’s position on emissions reductions is unclear, and it does not appear to explicitly support the Paris Agreement. In its 2021 Climate Change Assessment Report, Devon does not provide a clear position on the need for government regulation to respond to climate change, stating it prefers a “balanced approach on priority public policy issues.”

Engagement with Climate-related Regulations: Devon appears to have generally positive although limited engagement with specific climate policies in recent years. The company’s 2021 Climate Change Assessment Report stated support for reinstating the federal regulation of methane emissions in the US, although a tweet from April 2021 took a less clear position, referring to the Congressional Review Act as an “extraordinary legislative tool” to be “used judiciously and with caution.” Devon’s 2021 CDP Climate Change Response stated support for the regulation of methane emissions at the federal level in a way that “encourages innovation and operational flexibility.” Devon appears to have limited engagement with other policy streams.

Positioning on Energy Transition: Devon appears to be mostly unsupportive of the energy transition. In its 2020 Climate Change Assessment Report, it stated support for a continued role for oil and gas, even in a low-carbon world. A message from the company’s Board published in 2021 asserted its view that fossil fuels will be “a vital part of the global energy mix for decades to come,” a position misaligned with IPCC advise to phase out unabated fossil fuels. Further, in its 2021 CDP Response, Devon stated that it ” is actively engaged in conversations promoting the benefits of clean burning natural gas as a base-load and peak-demand electric generating fuel” and “would support reasonable measures to encourage electric generation from natural gas.”

Industry Association Governance: Devon has limited transparency on its indirect lobbying activities via industry associations. The company’s 2020 Political Activity and Lobbying Report disclosed memberships to 11 industry associations. However, in its 2021 CDP Response, the company disclosed memberships to only two industry associations. The company has not outlined areas of misalignment in either of these disclosures and has not published a review of its alignment with its industry associations on climate policy. It remains a member of the American Petroleum Institute (API), the US Chamber of Commerce, and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), all of which traditionally undertake negative lobbying on climate policy in the US, including on the federal reconciliation bills in 2021 and 2022 and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.