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)
Morgan Stanley is the vice-chair company of the US-Israel Business Council
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Morgan Stanley Exec. is a board member of the US-Japan Business Council
Alberto Tamura
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Member of the US-Turkey Business Council
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Exec. is on the board of directors of the Brazil-US Business Council, which operates under the US Chamber of Commerce
Thomas Nides
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Mogan Stanley is the chair of the US-UK Business Council
Clare Woodman
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Morgan Stanley is a member of the US Chamber of Commerce
not specified
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Morgan Stanley is the vice-chair company of the US-Israel Business Council
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Morgan Stanley Exec. is a board member of the US-Japan Business Council
Alberto Tamura
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Member of the US-Turkey Business Council
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Exec. is on the board of directors of the Brazil-US Business Council, which operates under the US Chamber of Commerce
Thomas Nides
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Mogan Stanley is the chair of the US-UK Business Council
Clare Woodman
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Morgan Stanley is a member of the US Chamber of Commerce
not specified
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: Morgan Stanley has positive top-line communications on climate policy, though with limited direct engagement. Morgan Stanley also appears to support the continued role of oil and gas in the energy mix, despite top-line support for decarbonization.
Top-Line Messaging on Climate Policy: Morgan Stanley has positive top-line communications on climate change policy. The company has supported the science of the IPCC and supported emissions reductions in line with the 1.5C goal of the Paris Agreement. In testimony before the Senate Banking Committee in 2021, CEO James Gorman stated support for the Paris Agreement.
Morgan Stanley has shown top-line support for the need for climate change regulation. In its 2021 Climate Report, the company stated support for “effective global and national climate policies that support an orderly transition to a low-carbon economy.” The company reiterated its support in a January 2021 C2ES Joint Letter, and in an October 2021 joint Statement of the Climate Solutions Working Group, a group of U.S. Chamber of Commerce members seeking to engage the organization on climate policy. In his 2021 Senate Banking Committee testimony CEO James Gorman stated support for government action to address climate change, including action to price carbon into the economy.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: Morgan Stanley appears to have had limited engagement on climate change regulations in recent years. In its 2021 CDP response, the company appeared to support the implementation of a carbon tax via its contribution to a Business Roundtable policy position paper. In its 2021 Climate Report, Morgan Stanley described engagement with industry associations to support federal reconciliation and infrastructure bills as well as the Clean Electricity Performance Program. In a 2022 podcast, Morgan Stanley Global Head of Sustainability Research appeared to support the clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act. In its 2021 Climate Report Morgan Stanley stated support for the EPA’s proposed methane regulations. In comments to the EPA in 2022, Morgan Stanley’s asset management subsidiary Calvert Research and Management strongly supported the Agency’s proposed methane regulations.
Positioning on Energy Transition: Morgan Stanley states support for decarbonization and the transition to a low carbon economy, but also appears to support the continuation of oil and gas in the long-term energy mix. In the company’s 2030 Interim Financed Emissions Targets report, published in November 2021, Morgan Stanley stated that “the low-carbon transition will require continued oil and gas use for many years to come.” Despite this, Morgan Stanley has stated support for the transition to a low carbon economy and a decarbonized economy in reports across its website. Additionally, in October 2021 the company signed onto the joint Statement of the Climate Solutions Working Group which stated support for the decarbonization of industry. Morgan Stanley podcasts from August and October 2022 appear to support the climate provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act. A 2021 Morgan Stanley Investment Management insights article, however, stated support for natural gas in the energy mix on the basis that it is ‘low carbon.’
Industry Association Governance: Morgan Stanley discloses a list of “examples” of its memberships to industry associations in its ‘Principal U.S. Trade Associations’ document, accessed in November 2022. However, the disclosure has no further details of the nature of Morgan Stanley’s membership to each association or their climate policy positions. In its 2021 Climate Report Morgan Stanley describes some of its efforts to influence trade associations’ climate policy positions. In its 2021 CDP response, the company disclosed its relationships with four industry associations, with moderate detail regarding climate policy alignment and influencing activities, but failed to disclose its membership to Business Roundtable and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Business Roundtable engages with mixed positions on US climate policy, while the US Chamber of Commerce engages actively and negatively.