Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: The German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) is actively engaged on climate policy with predominantly negative positions both in its top-line messaging and on specific climate-related legislation in the EU and Germany. The association does not appear supportive of the energy transition in line with IPCC guidance.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: The VCI takes broadly negative positions on climate action in its top-line messaging, in particular regarding the need for climate change regulation. In a March 2025 position paper, the association appeared to advocate for a less urgent approach to climate action in the EU, emphasizing competitiveness concerns stemming from the EU Green Deal and 2050 climate neutrality target. The VCI stated that EU Green Deal policies were “overambitious” and called for the EU Clean Industrial Deal to approach climate policy with less regulation in a position paper published in March 2025. Similarly, Director General Wolfgang Große Entrup advocated for less regulation in the EU in a September 2023 press release, proposing a “Burden Reduction Act”. The association is a signatory of the February 2024 Antwerp Declaration, which entails revising existing legislation under the EU Green Deal and avoiding implementing detailed regulation. InfluenceMap did not detect a recent position on the UN Paris Agreement from the VCI.
Engagement with Climate-Related Policies: The German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) takes predominantly negative positions on specific climate-related legislation in the EU and Germany. The association does not appear to support the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). For example, Director General Wolfgang Große Entrup called the policy "bureaucratic madness" in a social media post published in August 2023.
The VCI supported renewable energy legislation in a July 2023 joint position paper, advocating for government action to expand renewable energies in Germany. However, in a position paper published in December 2024, the association supported a weakening of the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED) by advocating to include low-carbon hydrogen in RED targets, and by calling for weaker criteria on renewable hydrogen in the RED Delegated Act on renewable hydrogen.
The VCI has not taken a clear position on the EU’s proposed target of a 90% cut in GHG emissions by 2040. In a March 2025 position paper, it stated that the European Commission must review the ‘fundamental prerequisites’ before setting a new target.
The association does not clearly support circular economy-related legislation. Director-General Wolfgang Große Entrup supported the UN Treaty on Plastics with major exceptions in an April 2024 press release, advocating for measures to scale up reuse and recycling of plastics, but opposing targets to reduce production of new plastics. The VCI is a consistent advocate for chemical recycling, for example advocating for it to be recognized in German and European legislation in a January 2025 position paper, however with no reference to the need for policy alignment with the waste hierarchy. In another position paper published in January 2025, the association broadly supported the EU Circular Economy Act as well as the German Circular Economy Strategy, however with major exceptions, such as promoting a mass balance approach to recycling.
Positioning on Energy Transition: The VCI appears to have largely negative engagement on the energy transition. The association emphasized concerns around the economic and technical feasibility of a move away from fossil gas in a position paper published in April 2025, and advocated for financial support for energy-intensive industries, such as tax exemptions.
The VCI repeatedly engaged on hydrogen-related legislation in the EU with negative or ambiguous positions. In a December 2024 position paper, the association promoted a technology-neutral approach to hydrogen-related policy, in misalignment with the EU Commission's ambition, and supported the development of hydrogen infrastructure without stating the need to fully decarbonize. In addition, it called for a revision of the Act in a March 2025 press release to make it “more practicable”, and generally promoted the development of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen without stating the need to increase renewables or reduce fossil fuel use in the energy mix.
The VCI broadly supported the German Carbon Dioxide Storage Act and an increased role for carbon capture and usage technologies in a March 2025 position paper, however without mentioning the risks and uncertainties as detailed by the IPCC.
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 association’s scores each week, the summary above is updated periodically. This summary was last updated in Q2 2025.