Climate Lobbying Overview: International Paper Company appears to have limited, mixed engagement with climate change policy. International Paper appears to support an increased role for biofuels in the energy mix. However, the company has also lobbied against emissions trading policy in the US and advocated for a continued role for fossil gas. International Paper Company retains membership to the National Association of Manufacturers and Business Roundtable, both of which actively lobby against climate policy in the US.

Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: International Paper Company appears to have limited top-line communications on climate change. The company has an ambiguous position on climate change and its causes in its Sustainable Forestry Practices for Landowners Report, accessed in December 2021. In its Climate Change Statement, accessed on its corporate website in July 2022, the company is unclear on whether it supports climate policy, stating “We believe local, national and global efforts to address climate change should reflect a balance among environmental, social and economic considerations for individuals, regions and nations.” The company has not explicitly supported the UN Paris Agreement in its recent corporate reporting.

Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: International Paper Company has not clearly disclosed its positions toward, or engagement with, specific climate change policies on its corporate website as of July 2022. The company stated broad support for some policy areas including energy efficiency, clean energy generation through biomass, and sustainable forest management in its 2021 CDP Disclosure, but did not specify policies of activities the company undertakes to influence these areas. In a Q4 2021 Federal Lobbying Disclosure, International Paper Company disclosed that it engaged on the Build Back Better Act, but did not disclose a position on the bill or its climate provisions. In its Climate Change Statement, accessed in July 2022, the company stated its participation in the EU ETS without providing a clear position on the scheme. The International Paper Company has set its own GHG emissions targets within its organization but is unclear on if it supports legislative targets on its corporate website, accessed in July 2022. Previously, in February 2019, International Paper gave testimony against a cap-and-trade system in Oregon, suggesting that it puts its business at a competitive disadvantage.

Positioning on Energy Transition: International Paper Company appears to have mixed engagement on the energy transition. On its corporate website, accessed in July 2022, International Paper Company stated support for the use of biomass in the energy mix. In its 2021 CDP Response, it stated that it is lobbying for regulatory certainty on the use of biomass and for its carbon neutrality to be recognized.

Industry Association Governance: The most recent full disclosure from International Paper Company on its membership of industry associations is in its 2020 Global Citizen Report. Additionally, the company publishes a biannual list of industry association memberships with dues exceeding $50,000. Neither publication provides detail on the company's engagement with nor the climate positions of the associations. International Paper has not published a full audit of its alignment with industry associations. The company retains membership to the National Association of Manufacturers, which has engaged negatively with various strands of US climate-related policy and regulation, while strongly supporting the ongoing role of fossil fuels in the US economy. The company CEO is also a member of the Business Roundtable, which engages on US climate policy with mixed positions.

Additional Note: InfluenceMap's analysis of corporate policy engagement covers a range of climate-motivated policy streams, which is being expanded continually as national policy developments occur. In 2022, InfluenceMap will introduce coverage of corporate engagement with climate policy related to land use and circular economy issues. As International Paper Company operates in sectors where such policy issues are highly significant, it is likely that such future evolutions of InfluenceMap's system will impact International Paper Company's climate change policy engagement scores.