This newsletter is all about exploring the relationship between companies and the exercise of political influence, and the effect this has on passing critical climate policy in the United States. So far we’ve examined why policy is so important, the ways that companies engage (or, more often, sit on the sidelines), and the impact of trade associations in obstructing action.
This month we’re looking at another important lever when it comes to companies’ political influence – lobbyists. Check out the “Deeper Dive” section for a recap of new research showing how many lobbyists are playing both sides of the climate crisis.
Action Items
Sign this petition!
Our “Escape the Chamber” campaign is going strong! Thanks to everyone who’s already signed the petition calling on pro-climate companies to leave the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and lead on climate policy.
If you haven’t done so already, please take one minute to add your name and share with your network.
Check out the F Minus database spotlighting compromised lobbyists
See if your employer is engaging with compromised lobbyists, aka ones working for the oil and gas industry, by searching for your employer (or local government) on the F Minus database. More on this in our deep dive!
The Big Picture
Lobbyists
Let’s start with some definitions.
What is lobbying?
The Encyclopedia Britannica defines lobbying as: “any attempt by individuals or private interest groups to influence the decisions of government.” This “influence” often leads to changing laws to benefit the client, fending off changes to laws that would adversely affect the client or securing government funding.
Lobbying can take the form of written or oral communication, and can also be direct (direct contact with a specific lawmaker, reflecting a specific view on a specific piece of legislation) or indirect (attempting to influence public opinion on a policy topic). Some basic examples of lobbying include: meeting with legislators or their staff, drafting the language of a bill, and open letters calling for lawmakers to vote yes/no on a specific issue.
What are lobbyists and how do companies use them?
Lobbyists are a big part of how companies (and many other entities) communicate their opinions to lawmakers. They are individuals or a firm that companies, local governments, non-profits, etc. hire to represent their interests. Lobbyists can be in-house, employed full time to represent the interests of a company, or they can be contractors, brought on for a specific issue or piece of legislation.
Last year in the United States there were over 12,600 registered lobbyists; companies, trade associations, labor unions, and other engaged organizations spent a combined $4.1 billion influencing lawmakers. As the graph below shows, there has been an upward trend in spending for quite some time.
Image Source: OpenSecrets, used here under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 license.
Bad Reputation
“Lobbying” tends to have some negative connotations in the United States, perhaps conjuring images of backroom deal making or exchanges of money for political power to benefit special interest groups.
This reputation is there for a reason, including:
- Lack of transparency: Though there are reporting rules in place, lobbying mostly takes place out of view of the public. While there are reports showing how much money is spent and on what topic, there are no details required on what exactly a company or organization is pushing for.
- Dark money: It is also amazingly easy, in the United States, for organizations to skirt these requirements. This is known as dark money in politics, where the flow of money becomes untraceable and the entity or entities behind a lobbying push remain unknown.
- Buying influence: Furthermore, any system involving money and power will naturally elevate certain voices over others. The ones who can pay the most can buy the loudest megaphone.
Many consider these elements anathema to a healthy, functioning democracy.
A New Vision
Despite these challenges, in reality lobbying is a core tenet of democracy and, in its purest form, is all about equipping policy makers with the information they need to make decisions. Lobbying itself is not bad, but the way it typically plays out leaves considerable room for improvement.
Many organizations including ClimateVoice have begun calling for a new era of responsible lobbying, some with a focus on climate and others more broadly concerned with the system of democracy itself. These new advocacy groups, frameworks, and tools are part of a movement to inject more transparency, accountability, and justice into politics.
A few to check out include: The Good Lobby, the Erb Institute’s Principles of Corporate Political Responsibility, the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, and the Global Standard on Responsible Climate Lobbying.
The Nitty Gritty
Lobbyists & Climate Change
At its best, democracy can be strengthened when multiple and diverse voices have a say in policy making. Unfortunately special interest groups backed by financial capital too often dominate the discourse. This is the case when it comes to addressing climate change in the policy sphere.
As we’ve discussed before, the fossil fuel and other heavy emitting industries currently dominate the discussion on climate change, spending LOTS of money to oppose climate action and spread disinformation. Meanwhile, climate leading companies spend far fewer resources, if any, fighting for the policy solutions desperately needed to keep the world on a below 1.5 degree track.
We shared this chart back in July, but it bears repeating. Historically anti-climate groups are spending a lot of money influencing politics.
Image Source: The Conversation
How are we going to get to the systemic change we need when the most powerful amongst us aren’t stepping up to demand change – and those fighting on the other side are spending vast sums to preserve the status quo?
Lobbying can be a force for good
At ClimateVoice we ask companies to follow best practice, which means audit and disclose, stop supporting obstruction, and advocate hard for good policies.
When it comes to lobbyists themselves, here are a few things that companies can do to help ensure their use of this service is going to advance climate action, not obstruct it:
- Hire dedicated in-house lobbyists specializing in climate change – and ensure there is the company mandate to lobby actively for good climate policy.
- Invest in training and resources for existing in-house lobbyists to become more action-focused in advocating for climate policy solutions.
- Vet external/contractor lobbyists for ties to fossil fuel or other industries that may present a conflict of interest, and halt work with those lobbyists who are compromised.
More on this last point below!
For a Deeper Dive
Lobbyists Working Both Sides
Conflicts of interest have long been a concern for observers of the climate advocacy complex, but new findings have starkly highlighted the issue.
The research group F Minus recently published a database showing that more than 1,500 state-level lobbyists are playing both sides of the climate crisis. These compromised lobbyists are working both for environmental groups attempting to advance climate and other environmental policy, as well as for fossil fuel companies with diametrically opposed views on the same issue. This is concerning for several reasons, as outlined in this article from Popular Information.
First, working with pro-environment groups and/or local governments, schools, and nonprofits gives lobbyists an air of credibility when meeting with lawmakers, a reputation that can then be taken advantage of when later meeting with that lawmaker on behalf of a fossil fuel client. Second, this double dealing gives lobbyists insight into the tactics and key allies of the environmental movement, information that can then be shared with fossil fuel clients seeking to undermine these efforts.
Third is the legitimization of the fossil fuel industry. Lobbyists being paid by these polluting companies receive a social license to operate by working both sides of the issue, or for publicly appealing institutions. And it works both ways, painting the fossil fuel industry with a cleaner brush as well. As F Minus Executive Director Jim Browning explains, “They can cloak their radical agenda in respectability when their lobbyists also have clients in the arts, or city government, or with conservation groups. It normalizes something that is very dangerous.”
Image Source: ClimateVoices Interview Featuring James Browning, 9/7/23.
Check out the recent ClimateVoices interview with James Browning for more on this insidious dynamic.
Additionally, other research suggests that the general culture of lobbying often leads lobbyists to default to demonstrating loyalty to the dominant agenda, not necessarily one’s current client. Especially for contract lobbyists, exactly the kind captured in the F Minus database, there is a need to avoid creating waves. Lobbyists who make a living working for the fossil fuel industry will want to avoid taking any action that would endanger their ability to work for these clients in the future. So, when a lobbyist is hired by an environmental organization to promote certain conservationally-aligned policies in direct opposition to the fossil fuel industry, can we really trust that lobbyist to carry out their job in full faith when their current and future income is coming from the opposition party?
This situation is alarming, and needs to end.
On August 17, 2023 ClimateVoice joined ten other organizations to call on local governments, schools, businesses, and other organizations who employ lobbyists to end their relationships with lobbyists who work for the fossil fuel industry.
Ready to take action on this? Head back up to our action items.
Coming soon...
In the climate space, Fall is synonymous with COP – a major annual meeting of the United Nations to discuss climate change, including reviewing and setting national commitments to reduce emissions. We’ll be previewing some of the major topics for this year’s November gathering and the role that companies play in the negotiations.
Have a specific question about Responsible Corporate Advocacy that you’d like us to address? Shoot your questions to us with subject line "Connect the Dots."