We have expanded the list of climate policies we assess company engagement with to incorporate land-use related policy, referring to legislative or regulatory measures to enhance and protect ecosystems and land where carbon is being stored. Assessments under this category are currently underweighted in terms of their contribution to the overall company metrics. This weighting will be progressively increased over the next 6 months.
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.
Climate Lobbying Overview: ZETA has active, positive engagement with U.S. climate regulation, consistently advocating for regulatory measures towards the electrification of transportation in the U.S, specifically the full adoption of EVs by 2030.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: ZETA appears broadly supportive of the need for policy to respond to climate change. ZETA supported 1.5 degree Celsius warming targets in a February 2022 joint letter that also expressed support for the Build Back Better Act. In a January 2021 Wall Street Journal article, the executive director of ZETA, Joe Britton, calls for tougher government regulation to accelerate the market’s adoption of electric vehicles. ZETA does not appear to have publicly disclosed a position on the Paris Agreement.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: ZETA is actively supporting more ambitious climate-related regulations in the US. ZETA has advocated for strong GHG emissions standards for vehicles. ZETA’s policy platform displayed on their corporate website supports stricter US vehicle emission standards to drive “sharp reductions in GHG emissions.” In a September 2021 comment on EPA light-duty vehicle GHG emissions standards, ZETA proposed expanding stringency beyond options the EPA was already considering. ZETA engaged similarly with the EPA’s heavy-duty engine and vehicle standards in a January 2022 comment, advocating again for stricter fuel efficiency standards.
ZETA also advocated for stricter GHG emissions standards for vehicles in a July 2021 joint letter to Congress, and an August 2021 press release. The latter emphasizes the need for states like California to be able to set their own, often more ambitious, GHG emissions standards for vehicles. ZETA communicated support for the repealing of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) provisions that similarly preempted the ability of state’s ability to set more stringent or ban tailpipe emissions in a June 2021 comment on a proposed EPA rule making on CAFE. In an October 2021 comment on CAFE rule makings, ZETA supported adopting the ambitious possible fuel economy standards and the closing of crediting loopholes.
In an August 2021 Twitter post, the industry association highlighted the importance of enacting ‘ambitious fuel standards to confront the escalating climate crisis’, while in a 2021 Issues in Science and Technology Op-ed, the executive director of ZETA, Joe Britton, proposed setting strong fuel economy standards. ZETA’s lobbying disclosures revealed consistent support for more stringent fuel economy standards in Q2 2022, Q1 2022, Q4 2021, and Q3 2021.
Positioning on Energy Transition: ZETA strongly supports numerous regulatory measures towards the electrification of transportation and has consistently advocated for the full adoption of EVs in the US by 2030. On statements released on ZETA’s corporate website executive director Joe Britton strongly endorsed the Inflation Reduction Act in July 2022, and also endorsed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in November 2021 as a means of decarbonising transport. Britton also advocated for the US treasury to expand the IRA’s tax credits for electric vehicles in a February 2023 social media post. On Twitter, ZETA stated support for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in July 2022 and support for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill in October 2021. ZETA disclosed in a Q2 2022 lobbying disclosure that they had advocated for increased budgeting for electric vehicle infrastructure and tax incentives for electric vehicles. ZETA’s lobbying disclosures reveal similar engagement on policies to support electric vehicle adoption and infrastructure in 2022 Q1 and in 2021.For example, executive director of ZETA, Joe Britton, directly advocated to Congress for full vehicle electrification by 2030, testifying before the House Energy and Commerce Committee Hearing on "The Clean Future Act: Driving Decarbonization of the Transportation Sector' in May 2021. Furthermore, in a March 2021 letter to the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, ZETA called for investment in an extensive EV charging infrastructure network across the U.S. In a September 2021 joint letter to Congress, ZETA directly advocated for policymakers to expand the alternative fuel infrastructure tax credit to incentivize the deployment of EV charging infrastructure. In an August 2021 press release, ZETA’s executive director advocated for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which represents a significant investment in upgrading infrastructure in the U.S, while in a September 2021 letter to Congress, ZETA advocated for clean energy and transportation tax credits, among other initiatives to spur EV adoption in the Build Back Better Act. Additionally, in an August 2021 joint letter, ZETA appeared to support the adoption of the Advanced Clean Truck (ACT) rule, aimed at accelerating the electrification of commercial vehicles.