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.
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: Rockwool is strategically engaged on climate change policy, with broadly positive and consistent engagement. The company’s top-line messaging and engagement on specific climate policies is generally aligned, and focuses mainly on energy efficiency, in particular for buildings. Nevertheless, Rockwool is also engaging with other climate policies, strongly supporting the energy transition and greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets, but demonstrating instances of negative engagement on the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Rockwool engages positively with climate policy in its top-line messaging. In a Corporate Leaders Group (CLG) joint letter from May 2022, Rockwool CEO Jens Birgerssen stated support for GHG emissions reductions in line with 1.5°C target, as well as for a wide range of policies to respond to climate change with a clear reference to the need for increased ambition. In addition, the company supported the EU’s 2050 net-zero target in its 2022 Sustainability Report, published in February 2023.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: Rockwool engages with policymakers across a wide range of climate policies, with largely positive positions but a few instances of negative engagement. While signing an open letter in June 2021 that broadly supported the CBAM, the company did not support key elements of the CBAM reform in an October 2020 EU public consultation, advocating for export rebates to be maintained and exemptions for countries with similar climate regulations. Similarly, Rockwool advocated against extending the EU ETS to other sectors and phasing-out free allowances in a February 2021 consultation response, but supported an ambitious revision of EU ETS sectoral benchmarks without reference to fossil fuel combustion in an open letter published in February 2023.
Rockwool’s engagement with energy efficiency legislation is strongly positive. In an open letter to EU President Ursula von der Leyen from May 2022, the company strongly supported more ambitious legislation through the Energy Efficiency Directive and buildings legislation under the Renovation Wave and Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. In addition, Rockwool stated strong support for the proposed revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive in the EU, advocating to increase the scope of the Commission's proposal and supporting more ambitious renovation standards, in a comment to policymakers from March 2022. Furthermore, the company advocated for higher binding targets in the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED) reform proposal, in a public consultation response from February 2021. In a CLG joint letter from June 2021, Rockwool also supported a more ambitious Effort Sharing Regulation, with more ambitious GHG emissions reductions targets and more sectors included.
Positioning on Energy Transition: Rockwool seems to strongly support the energy transition. In a May 2022 CLG joint letter, CEO Jens Birgerssen called for policymakers to move away from fossil fuels, advocating for the decarbonization of transport and industry, as well as for financial incentives and instruments to accelerate investments in clean technologies and infrastructure. In a letter to EU Heads of State and Government, President and Members of the European Council from February 2023, Rockwool strongly supported the EU Green Deal Industrial Plan in response to the United States Inflation Reduction Act, using it to advocate for more ambitious legislation in the EU, including sectoral goals and world-leading Single Market standards in addition to phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies.
Industry Association Governance: Rockwool has disclosed on most of its indirect climate policy engagement activities, stating industry association memberships with additional information on company's role, position alignment and accounts of industry associations engagements on climate policy, via its CDP Climate Change disclosure. Details of engagements on specific policies are however limited. Rockwool does not disclose its involvement with industry associations that are influencing climate policy on its corporate website, and has not published an industry association review.