Equinor Parts Company With IPAA Over Policy Differences, Continues To Work With API & APPEA
The general thinking is the economic havoc wrought by the coronavirus will automatically move all climate concerns to the back burner while business tries to dig itself out of the crater the pandemic has created. The pundits advancing that theory may be correct when it comes to US-based companies, but certain foreign corporations have not locked all their concerns about climate change into a closet and thrown away the key.
Equinor, formerly Statoil, is a Norwegian energy company. Although it is heavily invested in oil and gas production, it has not abandoned all its scruples. Last year, it pledged to review its membership in a bevy of oil industry trade groups and to sever its relationship with those that are not following through with the international commitments made at the Paris climate conference in 2015.
Now that the review is complete, it has decided to end its affiliation with the Independent Petroleum Association of America. In a statement, the company said, “IPAA’s lack of position on climate leaves the association materially misaligned with Equinor’s climate policy and advocacy position. Equinor has assessed our membership and decided not to remain a member of IPAA from 2020.”
The company also highlighted “some misalignment” with the American Petroleum Institute and the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association and pledged to try and influence both organizations to take a more progressive stance on climate policy issues, according to a report by Upstream.
“Our assessment of API’s climate position and climate policy principles shows some misalignment with Equinor’s position. We have, however, observed a positive shift over recent years reducing the gap,” the company said. “Based on our dialogue with API’s leadership, we expect further progress. API is actively developing their climate policy position. Equinor will remain a member of this organisation and engage in further developing API’s climate position.”
Similarly, the company said it would use its membership in APPEA to encourage it to promote climate change policy principles in Australia. “We will also encourage APPEA to take a clear stand on supporting carbon pricing in Australia and not supporting carryover of credits from the Kyoto protocol to the Paris agreement,” it said. The Kyoto credit carryover is a lie Australia is telling itself and the world about its progress toward an effective carbon reduction program.
Norway, of course, is trying to have its cake and eat it too. It is one of the world’s leading countries when it comes to supporting the transition to renewable energy and electric vehicles, but at the same time Equinor is an oil and gas company with a global footprint that is a significant part of Norway’s sovereign wealth fund. But at least Equinor has a social conscience, which is more than can be said for many US-based petroleum companies.
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