There is a pressing need for greater transparency and accountability for corporate climate policy engagement, including what companies and their representatives are seeking to achieve via attendance at COP29 in Baku.
InfluenceMap has developed a searchable database showing the track record of organizations whose representatives may be engaging with and attempting to influence the COP process in Baku. Hyperlinks in the table can be used to explore full profiles of each entity.
InfluenceMap maintains the world’s leading database of corporate and industry association engagement with climate policy around the globe, covering over 500 companies and 250 industry groups globally. Full details of what our metrics mean are contained within the Info icons. A full explanation of our methodology can be found here.
| Influencemap Performance Band | Organization | Engagement Intensity | COP29 Attendance |
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These updates capture the most important items of evidence collected by the LobbyMap platform, allowing users to track how companies are industry associations are seeking to influence climate policy in real-time. In the run-up to COP 29, the search tools below can be used to track the activity of actors engaging with and attempting to influence the COP process in Baku.
In a 23 September article on Fox News, American Petroleum Institute (API) President and CEO Mike Sommers stated API’s support for permitting reform, referring explicitly to the API’s direct lobbying to US policymakers on the issue. Warning of consumer ‘revolt’ without such reform, Sommers described a "full-throated effort" by API to get their plan into lawmakers' hands, including in-person advocacy on Capitol Hill and a "major seven-figure" advertising campaign inside Washington.
In a 10 September position paper on European CO2 regulations ahead of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the Automotive Industry, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) opposed the EU's 2035 ban on internal combustion engine cars and vans. JAMA instead advocated for the EU to continue to allow combustion engines after 2035.
In a 22 September press release, ReNew’s Chairman and CEO, Sumant Sinha, supported the Government of India’s decision to reduce India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) on renewable energy equipment from 12% to 5%. The GST reduction, effective from 22 September, aims to make renewable energy more affordable and accelerate the energy transition. Suzlon Energy also supported the policy decision in an 8 September X post.
In a 4 October Guardian Article, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary appeared to oppose a transition away from traditional kerosene fuel. O'leary also opposed the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) mandate in the UK and opposed a net-zero by 2050 target, claiming "It is all gradually dying a death, which is what it deserves to do... We're not going to get to net zero by 2050".
In a 1 October joint letter, investors including Aegon Asset Management UK, Scottish Widows, and Robeco encouraged the European Commission, European Parliament, and Member States to "maintain and implement" the EU Methane Emissions Regulation, and cautioned against any reopening of the regulation in an omnibus process.
In its 16 September feedback to the EU’s consultation on simplifying administrative burden in environmental legislation, IOGP Europe advocated for significant reforms to the permitting process that could weaken existing biodiversity protections. Referring to existing processes as ‘fragmented, unpredictable, bureaucratic and under-resourced’, IOGP Europe called for the establishment of ‘statutory time limits for permit-granting’ in order to align with the ‘international best practice’ of the US National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the ‘60-day limit for EIAs in China’. It also advocated for the creation of a 'permitting Omnibus' to ensure legal coherence and reduce conflict between frameworks’.
In an 8 September X post, Suzlon Energy supported the Government of India’s decision to reduce India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) on wind energy devices from 12% to 5%. The GST reduction, effective from 22 September, aims to make renewable energy more affordable. Meanwhile, in a 23 September Economic Times article, the company’s vice-chairman Girish Tanti supported India’s 2030 100GW wind power capacity target.
In a 22 September joint comment to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) organized by Ceres, almost 60 companies and investors advocated for the Trump Administration to preserve the 2009 endangerment finding. The letter emphasized that the endangerment finding -- which determined that GHGs endanger public health and welfare and are therefore subject to regulation by the EPA -- has resulted in federal GHG emissions standards that are "fully compatible with energy and industrial growth and profitability." Signatories included IKEA, Michelin North America, and New Belgium Brewing.
In a 30 August joint press release, the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI) and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) supported India’s Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Program and India’s 20% ethanol (E20) blending target by 2025. Responding to concerns about E20 blending, the industry associations emphasized the economic benefits for farmers and the carbon dioxide emissions reduction resulting from the EBP Program.
In a 23 September statement, the German Association of the Automotive Industry's (VDA) CEO, Andreas Rade, supported the postponement and simplification of the EU's Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). More specifically, Rade advocates for the scope of checks to be limited to the first import of relevant raw materials and minimum proportion of relevant raw materials in relevant products. Despite Rade's argument that this would 'avoid further unnecessary bureaucratic burdens', this simplification would represent a weakening of the scope of the EUDR and could reduce the policy's potential to protect biodiversity and carbon sinks.
On 18 September, the Australian Government announced its 2035 GHG Emissions target, setting a national target range to reduce emissions by 62-70% below 2005 levels by 2035. The finalized target was supported by a range of industry associations across the energy sector, including the Clean Energy Council, the Energy Efficiency Council, Energy Networks Australia, Gas Energy Australia and the Smart Energy Council.
The 62-70% range is lower than the 75% target advocated for by the Business for 75 Campaign, a coalition of business leaders calling for Australia to commit to a more ambitious 2035 emissions target. The Business for 75 Campaign's open letter to the Australian Government has been signed by over 350 businesses, including IKEA, Unilever, Atlassian, Fortescue, Volvo Group Australia, Squadron Energy, the Energy Efficiency Council and the Smart Energy Council.
Industry associations representing the automobile and mining sectors, including the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, Electric Vehicle Council, Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia and South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy, appeared to communicate unclear or mixed positions on the target, as did the Business Council of Australia (BCA) and Australian Industry Group. For example, in an 18 September media release, the BCA’s Chief Executive Bran Black appeared to support the need to meet the 2035 target, while also stating that achieving “even the lower end of the range will be challenging”.
Opposition to the final target appears to be confined to the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Minerals Council of Australia, both of which emphasized the economic and technical challenges in meeting the 2035 target.
In a 26 August consultation response, Tata Steel Nederland supported the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and called it “critical against global carbon leakage”. Further, it also provided certain recommendations that would strengthen the policy by preventing circumvention by EU importers and third country producers. In a 30 September press statement, Tata Steel CEO TV Narendran said that the company is closely monitoring policy developments in the EU on CBAM. These comments are in the context of a recent consultation on the extension of CBAM to downstream products.
In a 24 September public discussion on the 2035 NDC targets for the transport sector, the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association (KAMA) Chairman Kang Nam-hoon expressed support for transport decarbonization measures -- such as EV subsidies, but emphasized that zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) deployment targets must align with the pace of domestic industrial development. He emphasized the need for ZEV deployment goals to reflect realistic technological progress and be supported by detailed policy measures and institutional design. During the discussion, Kang also acknowledged the role of CO₂ regulations but cautioned that excessive regulatory burdens without sufficient government support could hinder electrification, calling instead for a balanced policy mix of regulation, incentives, and infrastructure.
However, in a 26 September press release, KAMA opposed increasing the ambition of the ZEV deployment targets, arguing that such targets should prioritize the competitiveness and sustainability of South Korea’s automotive industry. KAMA expressed concern that the deployment levels outlined in the 2035 NDC scenarios, requiring nearly all new vehicle sales by 2035 to be ZEVs, are unrealistic under current market and technological conditions.
In a 12 September news article, the Korea Photovoltaic Industry Association announced that the Minister of Environment, Kim Sung-hwan, had a meeting with companies, including Hanwha Solutions, to review next-generation solar technology research and gather industry feedback. During the meeting, Yoo Jae-yeol, Executive Vice President of Hanwha Solutions, requested the introduction of an investment tax credit for power producers and proposed a system similar to the U.S. Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit (AMPC) to support initial investment and production in solar module and cell manufacturing.
In a 25 September LinkedIn post, Ecocem announced the launch of the Business for CBAM Coalition, which the company co-founded with other breakthrough industry actors. The Coalition supports maintaining the ambition level of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, advocates for the immediate implementation of the EU CBAM in January 2026, and stresses the urgency of phasing out free allowances under the EU ETS to "secure the long-term competitiveness of European industry."
On 25 September, India's Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) released an updated draft of the Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency III (CAFE) standards, which provides concessions for small cars while retaining incentives for hybrids. Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and Suzuki have previously advocated for exemptions in this policy. For example, in a 1 July media report, SIAM advocated against the previous draft of the CAFE standards, calling it “aggressive” and a “threat to the critical manufacturing sector”. Meanwhile, in a 4 July statement, Maruti Suzuki sought exemptions for small cars from the CAFE standards. It argued that the current framework allowed larger vehicles to pollute more while smaller ones faced stringent conditions.
The Alliance for Automotive innovation opposed existing GHG emissions standards for light- and medium-duty motor vehicles in 22 September comments on the EPA's proposal to reconsider the 2009 Endangerment Finding and GHG vehicle standards. The association, which represents most major auto manufacturers including General Motors, Toyota, BMW, Volkswagen, Volvo Cars, and others, claimed that the current emissions standards for vehicles sold after 2027 are not feasible, and must be revised. The Alliance did not take a strong position on EPA's proposal to repeal the 2009 Endangerment Finding as a whole, but stated that removing it "would resolve concerns with the feasibility" of the regulation.
The Alliance focused its comments on pushing EPA to propose weaker emissions standards as a backstop to its current proposal, so that in the event that the 2009 Endangerment Finding is upheld by courts, the industry will still acquire a significant weakening of the emissions standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles.
In a 25 August press release, the National Mining Association (NMA) “applauded” the US Geological Survey’s expansion of its critical minerals list to include copper, lead, potash, rhenium, silicon, and silver, a move that risks biodiversity loss from the resulting land use change caused by a potential increase in mining. NMA President and CEO, Rich Nolan, asserted the NMA’s view that “all minerals are critical,” and that “any policies applied to a critical mineral listing should be applicable to all U.S. mined materials."
In a 26 August Indonesian parliament hearing, Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) commented on the draft of the New and Renewable Energy Policy (EBET), stating that 500 MW of nuclear capacity should be included as part of Indonesia's future energy mix. PLN President Director, Darmawan Prasodjo, emphasized that nuclear development requires clearer policies and stronger institutions to support its implementation.
The EU steel sector, including Eurofer, SSAB, thyssenkrupp and ArcelorMittal, advocated to weaken the eligibility criteria for state funding for heavy industry in the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF) in 2025 public consultation responses. Following oppositional advocacy on the file in direct comments to the EU Commission, measures related to steel in the CISAF were watered down to include rules to award state aid funding to non-IPCC aligned technologies.
