Climate Lobbying Overview: Nissan has mixed positions on numerous climate policy strands globally in 2021-23. The company has mixed engagement on policies promoting the electrification of transport, including opposing a UK zero-emission vehicle mandate, and higher-range GHG standards for vehicles in the US, while supporting a mid-range increase. In addition, Nissan retains memberships to several obstructive trade associations in Japan and globally.

Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Nissan has mostly positive top-line communications on climate policy. The company appeared to support efforts to keep global temperature rise below 1.5°C in its 2022 Sustainability report, in which it also expressed support for the goals of the Paris Agreement. Additionally, a September 2021 UK consultation response from Nissan appeared to support the UK's net zero 2050 target, while remaining unclear on whether it supports near-term action to achieve this goal.

Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: Nissan appears to have mixed to negative engagement with climate-related regulations. In the United States, Nissan appears to have supported weaker federal GHG and CAFE standards for vehicles. A September 2021 US consultation response suggests that Nissan directly opposed higher-range GHG emission and CAFE standards, instead supporting only mid-range standards and calling for flexibilities to weaken the policy, including off-cycle credits.

In a November 2021 New Zealand consultation response, Nissan appeared not to support higher proposed CO2 targets for light-duty vehicles included in New Zealand's Clean Car Bill. In Australia, a senior executive expressed support for mandated CO2 reduction targets for vehicles in an April 2021 ABC News report, calling for “clear and consistent direction from governments”.

Positioning on Energy Transition: While Nissan has mixed top-line support for the electrification of transportation, alongside supporting some electric vehicle incentive policies, it appears to have lobbied against ICE phase-out and ZEV mandate policies. In the UK, a September 2021 UK consultation response from Nissan appeared to oppose a UK ZEV mandate and advocated for a longer-term role for ICE-powered hybrids, while generally supporting incentives to promote PHEVs and BEVs in the country. In a July 2022 regulatory comment to the California Air Resources Board, Nissan appeared unsupportive of a stringent Advanced Clean Cars II rule in California, which would require an increasing percentage of new light-duty EV sales each year until a 100% ZEV mandate in 2035, emphasizing concerns around EV infrastructure and consumer education, while advocating for “one national program” across all 50 US states for motor vehicle standards.

Regarding vehicle electrification generally, Nissan’s CEO, Makoto Uchida, appeared to take a generally positive stance on the Inflation Reduction Act’s tax credits for electric vehicles in statements appearing in Automotive News in January 2023. In a December 2021 interview with Automotive News, Uchida appeared to take a mixed position on the electrification of transportation, supporting different pathways for different regions and indicating an unclear position on hybrids and pure BEVs. Similarly, in a March 2022 interview with Automotive News, a senior Nissan executive appeared to express support for a long-term role for ICE-powered hybrid vehicles over BEVs in certain European regions. In its 2021 CDP response, the company detailed how it has engaged with EU policymakers to support policies such as EV purchase incentives and the expansion of EV charging infrastructure. It has also expressed support for policies to promote EVs in the US, as indicated in a September 2021 consultation response. A September 2021 CNBC media report noted that Nissan appeared to oppose a proposed higher tax credit for union-made EVs in the US, though seemed to support the EV credits in general. A December 2022 Avondhu article reported that Nissan Ireland's CEO has urged the Irish government to continue supporting a 1 million EV target for 2030 and to not phase-out EV sales grants, while more negatively appearing to advocate against policies to promote public transport and active transport alongside reducing car dependency. However, more positively, a January 2023 statement from Nissan CEO, Makoto Uchida, reported by Automotive News, also stated that “The world is accommodating EVs much faster than we thought in the past", appearing supportive of the Inflation Reduction Act and full vehicle electrification in the US.

In the UK, a September 2021 UK consultation response from Nissan appeared to oppose a UK ZEV mandate and advocated for a longer-term role for ICE-powered hybrids, while generally supporting incentives to promote PHEVs and BEVs in the country.

On the Japan Climate Initiative website in June 2022, Nissan advocated for the need for stringent policy intervention to ensure the ramp up of renewables in the energy mix.

Industry Association Governance: Nissan does not appear to provide a disclosure of its trade association memberships on its website, nor through its 2021 CDP disclosure. The company has not completed an audit of its trade association memberships. Nissan is a member of several obstructive trade associations including the Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association, where Nissan CEO, Uchida Makoto, is a vice chairman, Japan Business Federation (Keidanren), Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and US-based Alliance for Automotive Innovation.

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.