The Engagement Intensity metric calculation was updated to correct for a previous overemphasis on older evidence. The changes mean that the new engagement intensities better reflect the level of entity activity in the last three years. This modification affects all entities and, therefore, does not impact the utility of the data set when comparing Engagement Intensity across entities.
Scored evidence collected on an entity's engagement with land-use and circular economy policy will now be fully weighted into the final calculations for each entity's metrics. This follows a two year process where InfluenceMap has evolved its methodology to collect evidence on corporate and industry engagement with these key areas of climate-related policy.
We have strengthened the algorithm for discounting the impact older evidence on an organization's top-line metrics. Evidence from within the last two years is weighted the strongest and then gradually weighted out of the scoring calculations as it gets older. All evidence that is 5 years or older is completely removed from the scoring calculations. Users will still be able to view older evidence items that are archived the scoring matrix below, but these will not be impacting the organization's current scores.
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: The European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) appears to take predominantly negative positions on climate change policy and is strategically engaged with policymakers across a range of EU policy streams. The association’s engagement with several strands of climate change policy and the energy transition has become more positive in recent years, but it continues to engage negatively on certain areas of legislation, such as the EU Emissions Trading System or hydrogen-related legislation.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Cefic supports ambitious climate action in its top-line messaging, albeit with significant exceptions on the need for climate change regulation. The association supported the European Green Deal in a September 2024 publication and the EU’s ambition to become climate neutral by 2050 joint recommendations in December 2024. However, in 2024 Cefic consistently emphasized the need to protect European competitiveness by advocating to revise policies under the EU Green Deal and avoid implementing detailed regulation, for instance in the February 2024 Antwerp Declaration initiated and coordinated by the association. InfluenceMap did not detect engagement from Cefic on the UN Paris Agreement in 2023-25.
Engagement with Climate-Related Policies: Cefic has predominantly negative engagement with key EU climate policies. In a public hearing in the EU Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy in May 2023, Cefic Director General Marco Mensink did not support key elements of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) reform, including increasing the Linear Reduction Factor and reducing the cap on total GHG emissions to zero by 2039. In December 2023 joint recommendations, the association advocated to maintain and strengthen indirect cost compensation beyond 2030, in misalignment with the EU Commission. Cefic seemed to support the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) with major exceptions in a May 2023 public hearing with the EU Parliament Industry Committee, in which it advocated for the inclusion of export rebates, a position which is misaligned with the EU Commission.
In February 2025, Cefic opposed the EU Renewable Energy Directive Delegated Act on renewable hydrogen in a joined statement, advocating for a technology-neutral approach. Cefic supported measures to boost renewables in the EU Electricity Market Design (EMD) reform with major exceptions in a May 2023 position paper, stating that contracts for difference should only be utilized where market instruments fall short, in misalignment with the EU Commission proposal.
Engagement with Circular Economy-Related Policies: Cefic is not fully supportive of circular economy policies. The association did not specify if it supports policies aligned with the waste hierarchy in a July 2024 press release, emphasizing instead the need to scale up chemical recycling. Cefic advocated for the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation to adopt a mass-balance approach to calculate recycled content in plastic packaging, in a joint industry letter in April 2024, a weaker option considered in the EU Commission’s proposal.
Positioning on Energy Transition: Cefic stated some support for policies to aid the energy transition and decarbonization of industry in 2022-24, however with major exceptions. In a press release published in April 2024, Director General Marco Mensink broadly supported decarbonizing industry through direct electrification. The association supported the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal to move towards the decarbonization of the energy sector in December 2024 joint recommendations, advocating for measures such as increased funding of low-carbon technologies and grid expansion. In a comment to EU policymakers in August 2023, Cefic supported the EU Industrial Carbon Management policy scaling up carbon capture utilization and/or storage in line with the EU Commission ambition. However, Cefic repeatedly advocated for a weakened EU Hydrogen and Gas Decarbonization Package Delegated Act on the definition of low-carbon hydrogen, including in October 2024 feedback comments. The association supported the EU Electricity Market Design reform with major exceptions in December 2024 joint recommendations, stating that market flexibility schemes should not be limited to non-fossil energy sources.