4 research outputs found
Mixed Corporate Messages in Climate Legislation: Parallels and Divergences in Energy Company Public Statements and Political Activities
Corporate influence has been widely blamed as a driving factor behind difficulties passing U.S.
climate legislation and compromises in the more seriously-considered bills. This thesis will
examine corporate public statements, lobbying activities, and campaign contributions as various
forms of political influence, and seek to identify parallels and inconsistencies between these
policy drivers. In particular, the analysis will aim to draw conclusions about how corporate
lobbying activities compare to public relations statements on climate change. As detailed
lobbying disclosure information is not publicly available, an analysis of campaign contribution
patterns serves as the basis for inferring industry lobbying positions on climate legislation from
the 109th through 111th Congresses.
While a few energy companies made public statements in favor of binding climate legislation,
most committed themselves only to vague statements of environmental stewardship without
advocating for specific policy solutions. Statements of overt opposition to climate legislation by
industry officials in the press and testimony further reveal internal contradictions within these
corporations. The examination of lobbying behavior, using campaign contributions as a proxy for
lobbying goals, demonstrates corporate reluctance to back stated concern for climate change
with support for legislation, especially bills with more significant targets. Oil companies in
particular exhibited the greatest bias, most notably surrounding the only Congressional vote on
a stand-alone climate bill. This could be due to the likelihood that, unlike the other industries
examined, oil industry GHG emissions are likely to increase rather than decrease with fuel
source diversification.
These findings could be greatly supplemented and illuminated through more thorough lobbying
disclosure requirements. While there are significant parallels in campaign contribution and
lobbying patterns, as examined in the literature scoping, the proxy use has limitations.
Disclosure of lobbying positions and contacted representatives would eliminate the need for this
intermediate step, and encourage more transparent corporate positioning regarding climate
change and other legislative issues.Master of ScienceNatural Resources and EnvironmentUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/85797/1/Makhijani thesis - final.pd