Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: Subaru has negative engagement with climate change policy in 2022-24. Although Subaru has some positive top-line messaging on climate change, it has opposed both zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandates in the UK and Canada, and higher 2025 and 2030 EU-light-duty vehicle CO2 standards.
Top-line Message on Climate Policy: Subaru has positive top-line messaging on climate policy. In a July 2022 Green Procurement Guidelines, the company communicated support for GHG emissions reductions in line with 2°C and stated support for the goals of the Paris Agreement. On its corporate website, accessed in July 2024, Subaru recognizes some of the climate change science as acute physical risk.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations:Subaru appears to have negative engagement with climate-related regulations. In the US, Subaru advocated to reduce the stringency of proposed Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards and to maintain flexibilities such as off-cycle and air-conditioning credits that further weaken the program in October 2023 US federal regulatory comments. In the UK, the company advocated for a flat CO2 standard with no increase in ambition during the enforcement period of the UK Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) mandate from 2024 in a May 2023 consultation response
Positioning on Energy Transition: Subaru appeared to have mostly negative positions on policies to transition the energy mix for road transport in 2022-24. In a March 2023 consultation response, Subaru opposed a Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) mandate in Canada. In testimony submitted to California Air Resources Board in June 2022, it appeared unsupportive of a stringent ZEV mandate in California. Similarly, in the UK, in a May 2023 consultation response found via FOI request, Subaru appeared to call for an effective delay to the UK’s ZEV mandate by advocating for 2024 (the proposed start year) to be a monitoring year only. It also supported numerous flexibilities and suggested that it may pull out of the UK market without an increased derogation for small-volume manufacturers.
In Japan, Subaru’s CEO, Atsushi Osaki, strongly opposed the phase-out of light duty internal combustion engine-powered vehicles, stating "it is unclear how much carbon affects the earth in the first place, and whether batteries are the best countermeasure”, according to an Asahi Shinbun article published in June 2024. In a Q&A session on its 92th Annual General Meeting in June 2024, Subaru’s CTO, Fujinuki, generally supported the deployment of electric vehicles in Japan while promoting Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) powered vehicles in the US.
Industry Association Governance: Subaru has not published an industry association review and only disclosed its industry association membership to Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) on its corporate website. JAMA is negatively engaged with climate policy globally. Subaru is also a member of Japan Business Federation (Keidanren), which has mostly negative engagement with Japanese climate policy, and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which has both positive and negative engagement with US climate policy for the automotive sector. Subaru is also a member of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), which has engaged negatively with Australian climate policy.
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 2024.