Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: LNG Allies (US LNG Association) is highly engaged with climate policy in the US, with predominantly negative positions. Despite broadly positive top-line statements on climate action, the association is actively and negatively engaged on the energy transition, specifically advocating for the long-term role of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: LNG Allies’ top-line communications on climate change policy appear broadly positive, albeit limited. As of May 2024, LNG Allies stated support for the Paris Agreement target of limiting warming to 2.0º C, with efforts to meet 1.5ºC, on its website, accessed in May 2024. On the same webpage, the association supported achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, on the condition that the pathway include fossil gas. InfluenceMap could not find any public position from LNG Allies on the need for climate regulation.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: LNG Allies’ engagement with climate-related regulations appears to be limited. The entity appears to only engage with methane-specific regulation and taxes, notably opposing several specific policies despite support for industry action on methane. A statement on the entity’s website accessed in May 2024 explicitly supports the direct regulation of methane. Most communications suggest support for industry-led initiatives to reduce methane rather than for government policies, as seen in a Q2 2023 Request for Information response. Similarly, in response to the 2021 proposed EU rules to reduce methane emissions in the oil, gas, and coal sectors, LNG Allies submitted a feedback comment expressing general support with caveats related to fossil energy imports and administrative and technical burdens on companies.
Despite these broadly positive statements, LNG Allies’ direct engagement with several specific methane regulations appears oppositional. In a March 2024 joint comment letter, the entity opposed the ‘Waste Emission Charge’ methane fee and advocated to weaken numerous conditions of the policy. This follows negative engagement with the Build Back Better Act methane fee in a September 2021 joint letter.
Beyond broad statements of support for greater renewable energy capacity and improved energy efficiency, InfluenceMap could not find any transparent engagement on behalf of LNG Allies with specific policies related to these areas.
Positioning on Energy Transition: LNG Allies’ engagement with the energy transition is negative, centred predominantly around consistent support for the long-term role of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the global energy mix, opposition to government intervention to phase out fossil gas, and promotion of new investment into LNG production and infrastructure.
The association has been vocal in its opposition to the Biden administration’s pause on LNG export facility permits, including in letters to US Secretary of Energy Granholm and President Biden in January 2024, and a rehearing request filed with the Department of Energy in February 2024. In a July 2022 letter, LNG Allies also urged President Biden not to declare a national climate emergency and instate policies that would restrict fossil gas production and exports.
LNG Allies has engaged with policymakers consistently to advocate for new fossil gas production, investment, and infrastructure globally. The entity encouraged investment in gas infrastructure and promoted long-term LNG contracts in an April 2023 letter to US and EU policymakers, and in a March 2023 letter to Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida ahead of the G7 2023 meeting. In a January 2022 comment letter, LNG Allies endorsed domestic financing of LNG projects by the US Export-Import Bank.
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 Q2 2024.