A new batch of industry associations has been uploaded onto the InfluenceMap system and the relationship scores recalculated accordingly.
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.
Climate Lobbying Overview:: Weyerhaeuser appears to have mixed, albeit limited, engagement with climate change policy. The company does not appear to be actively engaged on climate change via its top-line messaging or detailed lobbying activities, but supports a role for bioenergy in the energy mix.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Weyerhaeuser appears to have limited, but broadly positive, top-line communications on climate change. On its corporate website, accessed in March 2022, Weyerhaeuser recognized the potential impacts of climate change in addition to emphasizing the need to limit global warming to 1.5°C in line with IPCC guidance. However, Weyerhaeuser does not appear to explicitly state support for the Paris Agreement or the need for government regulation to respond to climate change.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: InfluenceMap was unable to find any evidence of engagement on specific climate-related regulation. On its sustainability webpage in 2021, Weyerhaeuser indicated that it is engaging on a list of policies, but has provided no details on the company’s positions, influencing activities, nor the outcomes sought on policy relevant to climate change. Similarly, in a 2020 lobbying disclosure form submitted to the US Senate, Weyerhaeuser disclosed its Iobbying activity on bioenergy, but InfluenceMap found no further details regarding the outcomes sought by the company.
Positioning on Energy Transition: Weyerhaeuser appears supportive of bioenergy playing a role in transitioning use the energy mix. On its corporate website, accessed in March 2022, Weyerhaeuser stated that bioenergy represents an alternative to fossil fuels. In its 2021 sustainability statement, the company acknowledged the importance of energy policy, including the role of biomass in renewable energy policies, but did not elaborate further. In Weyerhaeuser’s 2021 CDP response, it disclosed that it is lobbying in partnership with the National Association for Forest Owners for the full carbon benefits of forest bioenergy to be recognized in federal policy, and stated that it is consistent with the position held by the National Association of Forest Owners in “applauding Congress for taking decisive action to recognize biomass as a carbon neutral, renewable resource and an important part of the U.S. energy portfolio”, demonstrating support for bioenergy in the energy mix.
Industry Association Governance: Weyerhaeuser appears to disclose its memberships to industry associations on its corporate website, and a partial disclosure can be found in its 2021 CDP disclosure. However, the company does not appear to outline its role within each organization, nor its influence over their climate change policy positions. The company has not published a full audit disclosure of its alignment with its industry associations. Weyerhaeuser holds memberships to several industry associations, including the National Association of Forest Owners and the American Wood Council. None of these industry associations are currently covered under InfluenceMap's platform.
Additional Note: InfluenceMap's analysis of corporate policy engagement covers a range of climate-motivated policy streams, which is being expanded continually as national policy developments occur. In 2022, InfluenceMap will introduce coverage of corporate engagement with climate policy related to land use and circular economy issues. As Weyerhaeuser operates in sectors where such policy issues are highly significant, it is likely that such future evolutions of InfluenceMap's system will impact Weyerhaeuser's climate change policy engagement scores in the future.