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)
Evonik does not appear to be on any BDI boards anymore. Senior executives of Evonik are chairs and co-chairs of BDI working groups, like the working group on chemicals policy (as of January 2023)
Dr. Volker J. Soballa
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
CEO of Evonik Industries AG is on the Executive and Presidential Board of BDI. Senior executive of Evonik is the chair of BDI's working group on chemicals policy (as of September 2022)
Christian Kullmann, Renée Röske, Dr. Volker J. Soballa
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Senior executive is chair of the Substance Policy Working Group
Dr. Volker J. Soballa
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Major subsidairies of Evonik are indirect members of BDI via VDI
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Evonik does not appear to be on any BDI boards anymore. Senior executives of Evonik are chairs and co-chairs of BDI working groups, like the working group on chemicals policy (as of January 2023)
Dr. Volker J. Soballa
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
CEO of Evonik Industries AG is on the Executive and Presidential Board of BDI. Senior executive of Evonik is the chair of BDI's working group on chemicals policy (as of September 2022)
Christian Kullmann, Renée Röske, Dr. Volker J. Soballa
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Senior executive is chair of the Substance Policy Working Group
Dr. Volker J. Soballa
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Major subsidairies of Evonik are indirect members of BDI via VDI
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Senior Executive of Evonik is a member of the executive committee and board of Cefic (updated August 2023)
Harald Schwager
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Senior Executive of Evonik is a member of the executive committee and board of Cefic (updated August 2023)
Harald Schwager
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
CEO of Evonik AG is on the Board of VCI (updated August 2023)
Christian Kullmann
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
CEO of Evonik Industries is the President of VCI (Up to date as of April 2022)
Christian Kullmann
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
The CEO of Evonik Industries is a vice president of VCI
Klaus Engel
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
CEO of Evonik AG is on the Board of VCI (updated August 2023)
Christian Kullmann
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
CEO of Evonik Industries is the President of VCI (Up to date as of April 2022)
Christian Kullmann
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
The CEO of Evonik Industries is a vice president of VCI
Klaus Engel
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
The president of Evonik Corporation is on the board of ACC, for the term beginning on January 1, 2022 and ending December 31, 2024 (updated August 2023)
Bonnie Tully
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
The president of Evonik Corporation is on the board of ACC
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Evonik Corporation is a member of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) (as of October 2022)
not specified
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
President of Evonik is a board member of ACC
John Rolando
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
The president of Evonik Corporation is on the board of ACC, for the term beginning on January 1, 2022 and ending December 31, 2024 (updated August 2023)
Bonnie Tully
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
The president of Evonik Corporation is on the board of ACC
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Evonik Corporation is a member of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) (as of October 2022)
not specified
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
President of Evonik is a board member of ACC
John Rolando
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
Evonik Industries Senior Executive is on the Steering Board of PlasticsEurope (updated August 2023)
Lauren Kjeldsen
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
Evonik Industries Senior Executive is on the Steering Board of PlasticsEurope (as of March 2023)
Ralf Düssel
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
Evonik Industries Senior Executive is on the Steering Board of PlasticsEurope (updated August 2023)
Lauren Kjeldsen
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
Evonik Industries Senior Executive is on the Steering Board of PlasticsEurope (as of March 2023)
Ralf Düssel
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Evonik Corporation is an International member of AFPM (updated August 2023)
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Evonik Corporation is an International member of AFPM (as of October 2022)
not specified
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Evonik Corporate is an International Manufacturing Member of AFPM (correct as October 2021)
Kenneth Rizzi
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Evonik Corporation is an International member of AFPM (updated August 2023)
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Evonik Corporation is an International member of AFPM (as of October 2022)
not specified
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Evonik Corporate is an International Manufacturing Member of AFPM (correct as October 2021)
Kenneth Rizzi
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Evonik Industries is a member of the Chemical and Allied Industries Association (updated August 2023)
not specified
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Evonik Industries is a member of the Chemical and Allied Industries Association (updated August 2023)
not specified
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
A subsidiary of Evonik Industries, Evonik Oil Additives, is a Direct Member of API (updated August 2023)
not specified
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
A major subsidiary of Evonik Industries is a Direct Member of API
not specified
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
A subsidiary of Evonik Industries, Evonik Oil Additives, is a Direct Member of API (updated August 2023)
not specified
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
A major subsidiary of Evonik Industries is a Direct Member of API
not specified
--no extract--
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: Evonik appears to be actively engaged on climate change, taking mostly positive positions in its top-line messaging, it takes predominantly negative positions on specific climate policies in 2021-23. The company holds board positions in the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC), and the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI), as well as memberships in several American industry associations, which are negatively engaged on key climate policies.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Evonik seems to take a mix of positive and negative stances on climate action in its top-line messaging. The company expressed high-level support for the EU Green Deal and 2050 climate neutrality target in its 2022 Sustainability Report, published in 2023, and stated support for the UN Paris Agreement on its corporate website, accessed in October 2022. However, news outlet Handelsblatt reported in April 2023 that CEO Christian Kullmann suggested that a market based response to climate change is preferable over government regulation.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: In 2021-23, Evonik showed limited but predominantly negative engagement with specific climate policies in the EU. In an open letter in June 2022, the company’s CEO did not support the EU Parliament Environment Committee proposal to increase ambition of the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism as well as the EU Emissions Trading System reform, stressing risks of carbon leakage. In a joint letter in December 2021, the entity did not appear to fully support the additionality principle in the EU's Renewable Energy Directive (RED) Delegated Act, advocating for flexible approaches and later phasing in renewable capacity requirements instead.
On the impact of land-use change on climate change, in its 2022 Sustainability Report, published in 2023, Lanxess appeared to support the EU Farm-to-Fork Strategy elements that are aimed at making agricultural production more resource efficiency by reducing surplus feed in the environment.
Positioning on Energy Transition: Evonik appears to be actively engaged on the energy transition, taking a mix of positive and unclear positions. On its corporate website, accessed in 2022, the company stated that hydrogen produced via unabated fossil fuels should be reduced and supported a role for green hydrogen. The company supported cleaner power generation, without clear conditions on what this includes, and the role of wind energy in the energy mix in a November 2021 social media post. In a joint letter signed in April 2023, the company strongly supported subsidies for renewables value chains in the EU Green Deal Industrial Plan.
Industry Association Governance: Evonik does not appear to have a detailed list of all of its industry association memberships. However, the company listed a few trade association memberships in different parts of its 2022 Sustainability Report. The entity did not disclose further details of the company's role within each organization's governing bodies, nor their climate change policy positions. Evonik has not published a review of its alignment with industry associations. The company holds board positions in the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC), and the Verband der Chemischen Industry (VCI), and is a member of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), all of which are negatively engaged on climate policy in the EU and Germany. In addition, in the United States Evonik is a member of several negatively engaged industry associations, including the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), American Petroleum Institute (API), and National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).