TotalEnergies is a member of many industry associations and has published a list of its affiliations since 2016. The Company typically cooperates with these organizations on technical matters, but some take public stances on other issues, such as climate. TotalEnergies verifies that these organizations hold positions aligned with its own, and regularly reviews each organization’s stance on climate issues.
TotalEnergies and industry organizations
TotalEnergies joins national and international business and industry associations, particularly when collective action is more effective than isolated steps. Through these organizations, the Company can help define technical standards, for example, but also make its voice heard with regard to government regulations or policies related to its business.
In most cases, an organization’s governance implies that adopted positions reflect a consensus view among its members, and accordingly may not reflect the views of every member. The Company’s representatives make it their priority to support, defend and promote TotalEnergies’ positions within these organizations. If there is disagreement, its representatives reaffirm the Company’s stance and advocate changes in the organization’s positions. They may even propose that TotalEnergies withdraw if the organization’s positions do not change.
Through this pragmatic approach, the Company ensures that its participation in industry organizations furthers its own stated positions.
Acknowledging and responding to climate change is a major topic on the current agenda for public authorities, consumers and businesses. Associations have an important role to play in discussions about how the goals of the Paris Agreement can be achieved. For example, TotalEnergies supports several organizations whose positions on carbon pricing have helped to spur wider recognition of its value.
A review of industry affiliations
Since 2019, TotalEnergies has conducted an annual assessment of the climate-related public positions of the main professional associations of which it is a member. For those with such positions, the Company examines whether they are aligned with its own, based on the following six principles from our Advocacy Directive:
- TotalEnergies recognizes the link established by science between human activities, in particular the use of fossil fuels, and climate change.
- TotalEnergies recognizes the Paris Agreement as a major step forward in the fight against global warming and supports the initiatives of the implementing States to achieve the objectives of this agreement.
- TotalEnergies supports the implementation of carbon pricing.
- TotalEnergies supports policies, initiatives and technologies aimed at promoting the development of renewable energies and sustainable bioenergies (biofuels, biogas) as well as energies and technologies aimed at decarbonizing industrial processes and transport, such as hydrogen, carbon capture or the electric vehicle.
- TotalEnergies promotes the role of natural gas as “transition fuel”, in particular as a replacement for coal. TotalEnergies supports policies aimed at measuring and reducing methane emissions to move towards the ambition of Zero Methane emissions. TotalEnergies promotes a policy of reducing greenhouse gas emissions: avoid - reduce by using the "best available technologies" - offset residual emissions thus minimized.
- TotalEnergies supports the carbon offset mechanisms necessary to achieve carbon neutrality, through organized and certified markets ensuring the quality and sustainability of carbon credits.
For each principle, public positions by industry associations that are contrary to those of the Company are considered “Not Aligned” and ambiguous positions are considered “Partially Aligned”. Concerning the first two principles (the scientific position and the support to the Paris Agreement), the absence of a public position is interpreted as being “Partially Aligned”. For the other principles, the absence of a position is not taken into account in the review.
Once the analysis is completed, each association is assigned to one of three categories, based on the level of alignment with TotalEnergies’ positions: “Not Aligned” (at least one principle with a “Not Aligned” position), “Partially Aligned” (one or more principles with “Partially Aligned” positions), or “Aligned” (for all the principles addressed by the association, the stated positions are in line with TotalEnergies’).
