Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: PetroChina is strategically engaged on climate policy with a mix of positive and negative positions. PetroChina has stated top-line support for climate policy and engaged positively with renewable energy policy, circular economy policy, and GHG emissions policy. However, the company has advocated for the continued role of fossil fuels in the energy mix, including increased oil and fossil gas exploration in China and abroad. PetroChina also retains memberships to industry associations which have engaged strategically on various strands of climate policy.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: PetroChina expresses broadly positive top-line messaging on climate policy. In its 2024 ESG Report published in April 2025, PetroChina supported China’s 2060 carbon neutrality target and the goals of the Paris Agreement. Its parent company, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), supported government policy to expedite climate actions, such as the China National Plan on Climate Change and the Action Plan for Carbon Peak Before 2030, in its 2023 CSR Report published in June 2024.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: PetroChina demonstrates broadly positive engagement with climate-related regulations but with some exceptions. In a March 2025 press release, CNPC appeared to support China’s Green Electricity Certificates to support green power consumption. In an April 2024 blog post published by CNCP Economics and Technology Research Institute (ETRI), CNPC ETRI also advocated for policies to support green electricity trading and renewables consumption and promoted the integration of green electricity trading with the carbon market. In addition, in its 2023 CSR Report published in June 2024, CNPC stated support for China's Methane Emission Control Action Plan.
In a May 2024 press release, CNPC supported emissions trading and the carbon market. However, in a July 2025 press release, CNPC appeared to advocate for lower ambition in China’s national carbon market, suggesting strengthening financial attributes of the carbon market.
In terms of circular economy policy, in a March 2025 press release, CNPC supported battery recycling policy, suggesting comprehensively enhancing standardized recycling and utilization capabilities. In a March 2025 Two Sessions policy proposal, PetroChina advocated for policy support for plastic recycling, but without mentioning the need to move past recycling to reuse.
Positioning on Energy Transition: PetroChina demonstrates negative positioning on the energy transition, actively advocating for the continued role of fossil fuels in the energy mix. In a June 2025 press release, CNPC ETRI appeared to support fossil gas in the energy mix on the basis that it is “clean” and “low-carbon.” In a March 2025 Two Sessions policy proposal, CNPC advocated for the increased proportion of fossil gas in the energy mix without specifying the need for CCS or methane abatement. In a February 2025 blog post, CNPC ETRI advocated for the increased production of unabated oil and fossil gas. In an October 2024 press release, CNPC opposed a rapid phase-out of coal and advocated for the continued use of coal without CCS. In a March 2024 Two Sessions policy proposal, PetroChina proposed the development of energy super basins, areas dedicated to the development of fossil fuels alongside low-cost renewable energy, which risk fossil fuel lock-in. Outside of China, CNPC advocated for the exploration and investment of fossil gas in Africa and South America in an October 2024 press release.
Industry Association Governance: As of August 2025, PetroChina does not appear to have disclosed a list of its industry association memberships. In addition, the company has not published a review of its industry association memberships and climate policy engagement. PetroChina is a member of multiple industry associations engaged actively on climate-related policy, including but not limited to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA). In addition, CNPC is represented on the executive committee of the International Gas Union (IGU) which is highly engaged on the energy transition.
Additional Note: PetroChina is a listed company with more than 50% of its shares owned by the government of China. State-owned enterprises likely retain channels of direct engagement with government officials that InfluenceMap is unable to assess, and therefore are not represented in PetroChina's engagement intensity metric.
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 Q3 2025.