Climate Lobbying Overview: National Grid seems to engage on climate policy with mixed positions in the U.K. and the U.S., with a lobbying presence across Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island. The company appears to be supportive of the UK government’s Ten Point Plan for a green industrial revolution and the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, however it engages with more negative positions on U.S. state-level climate policy. National Grid is a member of the American Gas Association, which opposes U.S. federal and state climate policy and advocates for the long-term role of fossil gas.

Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: National Grid’s top-line messaging on climate policy appears to be positive. Regarding UK climate policy, National Grid stated support for the country’s 2050 net-zero emissions target in its 2020-21 Annual Report, and in December 2020, supported the government’s ‘Ten Point Plan’ for decarbonization on its corporate website. In the US, National Grid signed a July 2022 C2ES advertisement that advocated for Congress and President Biden to enact climate investments through budget reconciliation. The company supported the US’ re-entry to the Paris Agreement in its 2020-21 Annual Report.

Engagement with Climate-Related Policy: National Grid appears to engage with mixed positions on climate-related policy. In January 2021 EU public consultation responses, the company demonstrated mixed support for the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), while supporting reforms to raise the ambition of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). In the U.S., National Grid signed a January 2022 joint letter organized by the American Clean Power Association as well as a February 2022 C2ES joint letter that advocated to Congressional leadership to pass the clean energy tax credits in the Build Back Better Act. In January 2022, the company submitted a joint merits brief to the Supreme Court, advocating for the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate GHG emissions while emphasizing flexibility and a preference for market-driven approaches. In a June 2022 press release following the Supreme Court’s decision on West Virginia v. EPA, National Grid disagreed with the ruling’s challenge to the EPA’s ability to regulate GHG emissions. That same month, the company filed a joint motion to intervene in the U.S. Court of Appeals case Ohio v. EPA to defend the Biden administration’s reinstatement of the California Clean Air Act waiver.

National Grid demonstrates more negative positions on U.S. state-level climate legislation. For example, according to its state lobbying reports, it opposed the Rhode Island Affordable Clean Energy Security Act in March 2022 and opposed Massachusetts Senate Bill 2180 toward solar energy deployment during the first half of 2022. In early 2021, the company also consistently opposed Massachusetts’ climate bill, which included intermediate GHG emissions reduction targets of at least 50% by 2030 and 75% by 2040, when it was initially put forward as Senate Bill 2995 and Senate Bill 9. After these amendments were not approved and the targets remained the same, the company opposed the bill in its final reading as Senate Bill 30.

Positioning on Energy Transition: National Grid demonstrates mixed positions on the energy mix, with a focus on promoting the long-term role of fossil gas. On the global level, the company signed a COP26 declaration on Accelerating the Transition to 100% Zero Emission Cars and Vans in November 2021, which called for decarbonizing the transport sector and signaled a commitment to phase out ICE-powered vehicles in leading markets by 2035 and globally by 2040. The company also signed a We Mean Business Coalition joint letter in September 2021 advocating for policymakers to commit to ending new coal power developments and financing, which included a plan to “phase out coal-fired power generation by 2030 for advanced economies, and 2040 for other countries.” In the U.S., following the House passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022, National Grid published a press release supporting the legislation’s climate provisions.

The company engages more negatively on the state level. For example, in July 2022 joint comments to the New York draft climate plan, National Grid advocated for provisions to support “low-carbon fuels” as an alternative to the plan’s electrification proposals. In addition, according to Politico reporting in April 2022, National Grid is one of the funders of advocacy group New Yorkers for Affordable Energy, which generates opposition toward gas ban proposals in the state.

Industry Association Governance: National Grid discloses a list of some of its industry association memberships in its June 2022 annual report, however it does not comment on their climate-related lobbying activities or positions, nor has it published a full review of its alignment with its industry associations. The company is a member and sits on the Energy and Climate Change Board of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), an association that is broadly positively engaged on climate change policy. However, the company also retains membership to the Edison Electric Institute and American Gas Association, trade associations with mixed and negative positions on U.S. climate policy, respectively.

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 Q1 2023.