Climate Lobbying Overview: Uniper appears actively engaged on European climate policy with mixed positions. The company advocates strongly in favor of a long-term role for fossil gas in the energy mix, and opposes mandates to phase out coal power.

Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Uniper appears supportive of climate action in its top-line messaging. In its 2019 Annual Report, released in May 2020, Uniper supported the European Green Deal’s ambition to achieve climate neutrality in Europe by 2050. In the company’s 2020 Sustainability Report, published in April 2021, Uniper stated support for the implementation of the UN Paris Agreement. Although Uniper has not explicitly stated support for climate-related regulation in its corporate messaging, the company signed a joint letter to leading EU institutions in October 2020 calling for “ambitious and pragmatic” policy tools to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: Uniper appears actively engaged on climate-related regulations, with mixed positions. The company is supportive of market-based climate regulation, supporting EU and UK emissions trading schemes. Uniper has consistently supported the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) as “the most cost-effective mechanism” to meet Europe’s emission reduction targets. In a February 2021 EU public consultation response on the EU ETS, Uniper stated support for positive reforms, including increasing the Linear Reduction Factor, a one-off rebasing of the emission cap, and an expansion to the maritime sector. In the same response, Uniper also advocated for new standalone ETS systems for the transport and buildings sectors, and a continuation of the Market Stability Reserve at the current rate. Having previously advocated for the UK government to implement a UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) in a November 2020 joint letter, Uniper supported the UK ETS in its June 2022 consultation response with some exceptions, including on the withdrawal of free allowances only in sectors with low risk of carbon leakage.

The company supported the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism in a 2021 EU public consultation response, but advocated for the gradual phase out of existing carbon leakage protection for exposed sectors under the EU ETS over an unspecified period of time. In a 2021 EU public consultation response, Uniper supported the increased ambition of the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive, but advocated for non-renewable, low-carbon energy sources to be included in the directive. The company appeared to support increasing the EU’s 2030 GHG emission reduction target from 40% to at least 50%, in a June 2020 consultation response. In an April 2022 consultation response, Uniper appeared to support weakening the EU Methane Regulation for the energy sector, by advocating for compensation for methane emissions reductions, reducing frequency of leak detection and repair measures, and did not support the ban on routine venting and flaring.

Positioning on Energy Transition: Uniper does not appear fully supportive of the transition away from fossil fuels in the energy mix. Uniper has reportedly opposed coal phase-out plans in Germany in 2019 and the Netherlands in 2021, with Euractiv reporting the company confirming its intention to seek legal action in the latter case. Sky News reported in September 2021 that legal action is ongoing. Uniper stated in its 2021 CDP disclosure that it opposed the 2030 coal phaseout in the Netherlands unless the company receives financial compensation. In August 2022, the Financial Times reported that Uniper had been forced to drop its Energy Charter Treaty lawsuit in the Netherlands following its bailout by the German government. Uniper has also consistently supported the long-term role of fossil gas in the energy mix. In its 2021 Sustainability Report, published in April 2022, the company supported weakening the EU sustainable finance taxonomy by advocating for the inclusion of fossil gas. Uniper also called for unabated fossil gas to be supported in the EU Hydrogen and Gas Decarbonization Package, by advocating for LNG exemptions and the inclusion of fossil gas and hydrogen blending in April 2022 feedback comments.

Uniper has actively supported the increased role of hydrogen in the energy mix, including renewable hydrogen and hydrogen production via fossil fuels with CCS (“blue”). For example, in an April 2021 UK consultation response, Uniper supported the role of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen in the UK energy mix. The company signed an April 2022 joint letter calling for higher ambition in the EU Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, and an expansion of hydrogen infrastructure in the TEN-T regulation. Uniper also stated support for the UK Energy Strategy, specifically advocating for a greater role of hydrogen, in an April 2022 social media post.

Industry Association Governance: Uniper has disclosed its membership to some industry associations on its corporate website. However, this disclosure provides limited information on these memberships and excludes key associations such as the Federation of German Industries (BDI), BusinessEurope and Eurogas which have mixed and negative engagement on key climate change policies. The company has not published a detailed review of its alignment with its industry associations.

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.