Lobbying: Toyota and BMW Delay Transformation the Most

The Japanese automobile manufacturer and hybrid drive pioneer Toyota has been designated by the British think tank InfluenceMap as one of the world's most influential companies blocking climate policies aligned with the Paris Agreement. The think tank has precisely analyzed lobbying activities, internally held positions, and financial flows based on open data, also tracing how German car manufacturers and associations advocate for weaker emissions targets.

Where Words and Actions Diverge

The think tank recently published an analysis listing the 50 most influential companies and industry associations that would delay progress in climate policy. Among the top five, only Toyota ranked from the car manufacturers, with the US oil companies ExxonMobil and Chevron performing even worse. Also among the top five offenders are the US gas and electricity supplier Southern Company and the energy infrastructure corporation Sempra. Other car manufacturers listed include the German companies BMW (18th), Daimler (24th), as well as the Korean conglomerate Hyundai (25th) from the automotive sector, who, as a group, are alleged to be very negative towards strict climate regulations for the automotive sector, according to the accusation supported by numerous data points.

"Toyota Motor worldwide opposed proposed regulations to abolish internal combustion engines in favor of electric vehicles in 2020-21 and ranks third on the InfluenceMap list of companies with the most negative impact on the Paris Agreement's climate policies,"

According to the analysis, the automotive industry as a whole is "very negative" towards strict climate regulations for its own sector, despite seemingly increasingly supporting overarching climate goals. It is rated by think tank analysts as the second worst industry after the oil industry.

InfluenceMap's director Edward Collins explained that "the strategy of companies to hinder climate policy has come a long way from science denial," but it is still "equally harmful." The analysts argue that the impact of political decisions on emissions is even greater than the direct and indirect emissions footprint of any individual company.

Strong Stuff: BMW as Leading Opponent of Climate Policy

From the perspective of InfluenceMap, the detailed and separate analysis of German manufacturers shows that BMW has developed into the "leading opponent of climate policy in Germany and Europe." While the German automotive industry is increasingly expressing its support for the Paris Agreement and long-term climate goals, key groups such as BMW and the German association have been advocating to weaken short-term climate regulations to achieve such goals, the British organization accuses the manufacturers.

Against Higher CO2 Standards and Combustion Engine Phase-Out

The think tank claims to have shown how the German automotive sector in general lobbied against two key measures - higher CO2 emission standards for light commercial vehicles and phase-out dates for combustion engines. The study also highlights the "green" PR campaigns with which German automakers sought to divert growing public and government concern over the sector's climate record, with road traffic accounting for about 19 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Germany in 2020.

German and European Climate Goals at Risk

The study's authors fear that German and EU climate goals are at risk if regulations are weakened by negative climate policy engagement from the automotive industry, a view they share with many climate protection experts. This is significant given the ongoing coalition negotiations of the German government, which will likely include a decarbonization plan for road transport, and the current negotiations of the EU Parliament on CO2 standards for light commercial vehicles, the think tank further warns.

At least: Volkswagen has set out on the journey

At least the authors highlight Volkswagen's somewhat mixed but increasingly positive direct climate policy engagement, while the company remains an important member of industry associations that actively oppose climate policy. According to Think Tank, together these groups spend over ten million euros per year on lobbying in the EU. The study also highlights that German automobile manufacturers are increasingly voicing their support for a low-carbon transportation shift, while at the same time opposing significant EU and German shift measures, not least through the involvement of their top associations.

As part of the study, more than 1,000 pieces of evidence of climate policy engagement were collected and analyzed, more than 400 of which are dated since 2020. This includes a considerable amount of previously unseen information, which InfluenceMap was able to access based on more than 10 freedom of information (FOI) requests, specifies the organization.

Green advertising in sharp contrast

In contrast, there are also sophisticated "green PR campaigns" for electrification, such as BMW's launch of its iX and i4 series with slogans like "There is no Planet B" and "Make Earth Cool Again". The green PR stands "in stark contrast to the efforts to weaken and delay climate legislation in Germany and the EU", criticizes InfluenceMap.