Climate Lobbying Overview: Suzuki appears to have broadly negative engagement with a variety of climate policy streams globally. Despite some positive top-line messaging on climate policy, in 2021-22, the company has opposed regulatory efforts to increase the stringency of emission standards for vehicles in India and New Zealand.

Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Suzuki appears broadly supportive of carbon neutrality, however it is unclear whether it supports 2050 targets in line with IPCC. The company has also not explicitly stated support for the Paris Agreement. In a September 2021 blog post, Suzuki appeared to support net-zero or climate neutrality targets, although it is unclear whether the company supports near-term action to achieve these goals. In February 2021, according to a Reuters media report, Toshihiro Suzuki, president of Suzuki Motor Corp, recognized the company’s need to respond to a global push towards lower emissions and carbon neutrality. Chairman of Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL), a subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation, R C Bhargava, similarly expressed support for climate neutrality targets in an August 2021 Economic Times article, while remaining ambiguous whether supporting near-term action to achieve such goals. The same article also reported Maruti Suzuki’s Chairman advocating for less ambitious government regulation to respond to climate change in India.

Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: Suzuki appears unsupportive of specific ambitious climate policies globally. In a November 2021 New Zealand consultation response, Suzuki strongly opposed higher CO2 targets for light-duty vehicles included in the country’s Clean Car Bill, arguing that the proposed targets are unachievable and emphasizing affordability and supply concerns. Suzuki instead appeared to call for CO2 reduction through the use of hybrid vehicles and warned that Suzuki may have to pull out of the New Zealand market if the policy is passed.

In India, according to a March 2021 Reuters report, Maruti Suzuki was part of a delegation that directly advocated for policymakers to delay CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency) standards for vehicles. In August 2021, an Economic Times news article reported that Maruti Suzuki Chairman, R C Bhargava, publicly opposed CAFE II regulations in India, emphasizing that the new stage of energy efficiency norms would hold back the growth of the auto industry. Similarly, a March 2022 Economic Times news article further reported Kenichi Ayukawa, CEO of Maruti Suzuki, stating that the automotive industry has been pushing back against CAFE II emission norms in India.

A June 2022 Business Standard news article reported that a Maruti Suzuki senior executive expressed support for government investment in renewable energy.

Positioning on Energy Transition: Suzuki appears to take a negative position on the energy transition. In a November 2021 New Zealand consultation response, Suzuki strongly opposed measures to accelerate the electrification of light-duty transportation in New Zealand's proposed Clean Car Bill, advocating for the long-term use of ICE-powered and hybrid vehicles, and emphasizing the high costs of EVs for consumers. Maruti Suzuki Chairman, RC Bhargava, has consistently advocated for a long-term role for the internal combustion engine over the electrification of transportation in India, for example in a June 2022 Hindu Business Line news article. Statements made by Suzuki executives in September 2022 and July 2022 ‘The Economic Times’ articles suggested support for a long term role for ICE-powered vehicles. In a March 2022 Economic Times news report, Bhargava suggested that the energy mix transition in India is unaffordable, calling on the government to instead support alternative ICE technologies such as CNG, bio-CNG, ethanol, and hybrid vehicles, as well as proposing lower taxation for CNG and hybrid vehicles. Hisashi Takeuchi, CEO of Maruti Suzuki, appeared to support the use of biofuels as a decarbonization pathway in statements appearing in The Hindu Business Line in December 2022. Takeuchi also advocated for the use of LNG in light-duty vehicles, according to an April 2022 Hindu Business Line article.

Industry Association Governance: Suzuki has not disclosed its membership to industry associations on its corporate website, nor has it published a review of alignment with its industry associations. In its 2021 CDP response, the company only disclosed its membership to the Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), which has mostly negative engagement on Japanese climate legislation, and where Toshihiro Suzuki, president of Suzuki Motor Corporation, is a vice chairman. Furthermore, CEO of Maruti Suzuki, Kenichi Ayukawa, is the president of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), which appears to have mostly negative positioning on Indian automotive climate policy. Suzuki is also a member of the Alliance for Automobile Innovation in the US, and the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) in Japan, both of which have mixed engagement with climate legislation.

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.