OMV
What do our scores mean?
The organizational score represents the degree to which the organization influencing climate policy and legislation. Corporations also have relationship scores reflecting their links with influencers like trade associations. Both are combined to place the corporation in a performance band. Full details can be found here.
Engagement Intensity
The engagement intensity (EI) is a metric of the extent to which the company is engaging on climate change policy matters, whether positively or negatively. It is a number from 0 (no engagement at all) to 100 (full engagement on all queries/data points). Clearly energy companies are more affected by climate regulations and will have a higher EI than, for example retailers. So an organization’s score should be looked at in conjunction with this metric to gauge the amount of evidence we are using in each case as a basis for scoring. On our scale, an EI of more than 35 indicates a relatively large amount of climate policy engagement.
Relationship Score, December 2020
A new batch of industry associations has been uploaded onto the InfluenceMap system and the relationship scores recalculated accordingly.
Updated terminology, February 2021
We adjusted the terminology used to describe the queries running down the left-hand side of our scoring matrix and added additional explanatory text to the info-boxes. This has no impact on the scores and methodology. It has been done following user feedback to improve clarity.
- Details of Organization Score
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What do the 0,1,2 and NSs, NAs mean?
Each cell in the organization's matrix presents a chance for us to assess each data source against our column of climate change policy queries. We score from -2 to 2, with negative scores representing evidence of obstructive influence. "NA" means "not applicable" and "NS" means "not scored" - that is we did not find any evidence either way. In both cases, the cell's weighting is re-distributed over others. Red and blue cells represent highly interesting negative or positive influence respectively. Full details can be found here.
- Details of Relationship Score
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What is the Relationship Score
A corporation, as well as its organizational score will have a relationship score. It is computed by aggregating the organizational scores of the Influencers (trade bodies etc.) it has relationships with, weighted by both the strength of these relationships and the relative importance of the Influencers towards climate change policy. Full details can be found here.
QUERIES
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DATA SOURCES | |||||||
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Main Web Site
The main organizational Web site of the company and its direct links to major affiliates and attached documents. |
Social Media
We search other media and sites funded or controlled by the organization, such as social media (Twitter, Facebook) and direct advertising campaigns of the organization. |
CDP Responses
We assess and score responses to two questions from CDP's climate change information request (12.3 a & 12.3c) related to political influence questions (currently these are not numerically scored by the CDP process). |
Legislative Consultations
Comments from the entity being scored on governmental regulatory consultation processes, including those obtained by InfluenceMap through Freedom of Information requests. |
Media Reports
Here we search in a consistent manner (the organization name and relevant query search terms) a set of web sites of representing reputable news or data aggregations. Supported by targeted searches of proprietary databases. |
CEO Messaging
Here we search in a consistent manner (the CEO/Chairman, organization name and relevant query search terms) a set of web sites of representing reputable news or data aggregations. Supported by targeted searches of proprietary databases. |
Financial Disclosures
We search 10-K and 20-F SEC filings where available, and non US equivalents where not. . |
EU Register
Information provided by to the voluntary EU Transparency Register. |
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Communication of Climate Science
Is the organization transparent and clear about its position on climate change science? |
NS |
1
|
NS | NS | NS | NS | NS | NA |
Alignment with IPCC on Climate Action
Is the organization supporting the science-based response to climate change as set out by the IPCC? (the IPCC) |
0
|
0
|
NA |
-1
|
NS | NS | NS | NA |
Supporting the Need for Regulations
To what extent does the organization express the need for regulatory intervention to resolve the climate crisis? |
NS | NS | NA |
-1
|
NS | NS | NS | NA |
Support of UN Climate Process
Is the organization supporting the UN FCCC process on climate change? |
1
|
0
|
NS | NS | NS |
1
|
NS | NA |
Transparency on Legislation
Is the organisation transparent about its positions on climate change legislation/policy and its activities to influence it? |
-1
|
NA |
1
|
NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
Carbon Tax
Is the organisation supporting policy and legislative measures to address climate change: carbon tax. |
NS | NS | NS | NS | NS |
1
|
NS | NA |
Emissions Trading
Is the organisation supporting policy and legislative measures to address climate change: emissions trading. |
NS | NS |
-1
|
-1
|
NS | NS | NS | NA |
Energy and Resource Efficiency
Is the organization supporting policy and legislative measures to address climate change: energy efficiency policy, standards, and targets |
NS | NS |
0
|
NS | NS | NS | NS | NA |
Renewable Energy
Is the organization supporting policy and legislative measures to address climate change: Renewable energy legislation, targets, subsidies, and other policy |
NS | NS |
1
|
-2
|
NS | NS | NS | NA |
Energy Transition & Zero Carbon Technologies
Is the organization supporting an IPCC-aligned transition of the economy away from carbon-emitting technologies, including supporting relevant policy and legislative measures to enable this transition? |
0
|
0
|
-1
|
-1
|
-1
|
0
|
NS | NA |
GHG Emission Regulation
Is the organization supporting policy and legislative measures to address climate change: GHG emission standards and targets. Is the organization supporting policy and legislative measures to address climate change: Standards, targets, and other regulatory measures directly targeting Greenhouse Gas emissions |
NS | NS |
0
|
-1
|
NS | NS | NS | NA |
Disclosure on Relationships
Is the organization transparent about its involvement with industry associations that are influencing climate policy, including the extent to which it is aligned with these groups on climate? |
2
|
NA |
-1
|
NA | NA | NA | NS | NA |

InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
InfluenceMap Comment:
A senior OMV executive is on the board of FuelsEurope
Thomas Gang

InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
InfluenceMap Comment:
OMV is a member of FuelsEurope (up-to-date Dec 2019)
not specified

InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
InfluenceMap Comment:
A senior OMV executive is on the board of FuelsEurope
Thomas Gang

InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
InfluenceMap Comment:
OMV is a member of FuelsEurope (up-to-date Dec 2019)
not specified

InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
OMV is a member of APPEA (Aug 2020)
not specified

InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
OMV is a direct member of APPEA through its regional segment, OMV New Zealand (up-to-date- Dec 2019).
not specified

InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
OMV is a member of APPEA (Aug 2020)
not specified

InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
OMV is a direct member of APPEA through its regional segment, OMV New Zealand (up-to-date- Dec 2019).
not specified
How to Read our Relationship Score Map
In this section, we depict graphically the relationships the corporation has with trade associations, federations, advocacy groups and other third parties who may be acting on their behalf to influence climate change policy. Each of the columns above represents one relationship the corporation appears to have with such a third party. In these columns, the top, dark section represents the strength of the relationship the corporation has with the influencer. For example if a corporation's senior executive also held a key role in the trade association, we would deem this to be a strong relationship and it would be on the far left of the chart above, with the weaker ones to the right. Click on these grey shaded upper sections for details of these relationships. The middle section contains a link to the organization score details of the influencer concerned, so you can see the details of its climate change policy influence. Click on the middle sections for for details of the trade associations. The lower section contains the organization score of that influencer, the lower the more negatively it is influencing climate policy.
Climate Lobbying Overview: OMV appears to have broadly negative engagement with EU climate policy in 2018-20. OMV has consistently advocated in support of a long-term role for gas in the energy mix in 2020, including the construction of new gas infrastructure such as the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. In the EU in 2020, evidence suggests OMV has been unsupportive of ambitious EU GHG emissions targets, and emphasized competitiveness concerns to support a weakened EU ETS that incorporates carbon leakage protection as the EU’s primary climate mechanism.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: While in 2020 OMV has stated support for the Paris Climate Agreement, other top-line communications from the company in 2018-20 have consistently emphasized the need to balance climate efforts against economic concerns. In 2020 consultation responses to New Zealand climate legislation, OMV stressed concerns around energy-poverty in responding to climate change and stated that it is important climate policies “do not heighten energy insecurity, deliver unacceptably expensive energy prices or unintentionally increase emissions”. Furthermore, in a 2018 consultation response to a long-term EU GHG emissions target, OMV appears to prioritize cost concerns over the IPCC-demanded response. OMV in 2018-20 has further stated support for a market-based response to climate change over other government regulation, including criticizing “harmful subsidies” in a 2018 EU consultation response.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: OMV in 2018-20 appears unsupportive of ambitious climate-related regulations in the EU and New Zealand. OMV’s disclosed position on the EU’s 2030 climate targets in its 2020 CDP response emphasizes competitiveness concerns, advocating that a “linkage between economic target and GHG reduction target should be established in order to restore the competitiveness of the European industry”. Instead, in 2020 OMV disclosed to CDP that it supports the EU Emissions Trade System (EU ETS) “as the centre piece of Europe’s efforts to mitigate GHG”, while emphasizing the policy must include carbon leakage protections.
In New Zealand, in a 2020 consultation response OMV advocated for the New Zealand Emissions Trading System (NZ ETS) to reduce its initial transitionary price from $35 to $25 per tonne, increase its Cost Containment Reserve protection against “unacceptably high prices”, and include a lower price floor.
Positioning on Energy Transition: Between 2019-2020, OMV has used extensive corporate and CEO messaging to advocate a long-term role for natural gas in Europe’s energy mix, including promoting the Russia-Europe pipeline Nord Stream 2. In 2019, OMV CEO Rainer Seele argued that “gas is actually a key pillar of the energy transition”, further supporting a long-term role for gas in 2020 communications. Additionally, in a 2020 New Zealand consultation response, OMV advocated in favor of the long-term role of gas, and baseload thermal generation, in New Zealand’s energy mix. The company’s 2018 response to a consultation on the EU’s long-term climate strategy labeled compressed natural gas and LNG as “environmentally friendly” and further advocated that gas technologies be considered sustainable so the EU can meet its climate targets. OMV reiterated this position, also in 2018, in response to a consultation related to the EU’s sustainable finance initiative, also suggesting that “many aspects” of the EU Commission’s sustainable finance agenda were unnecessary. Concerning transport in the EU, OMV has strongly emphasized the role for gas in its 2019-20 communications and has disclosed via CDP in 2020 that it also supports policy to encourage the use of renewable fuels and hydrogen.
Industry Association Governance: In 2020 OMV published a review of 12 of its industry association memberships on its website, disclosing OMV’s roles within, and engagement with, each association alongside their positioning. Within this review, OMV stated it is “fully aligned” with all 12 associations regarding their climate-related engagement. A senior Executive of OMV is a board member of FuelsEurope, and OMV is a member of BusinessEurope, both of whom are actively and negatively lobbying EU climate legislation. OMV is also a member of the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers, who are lobbying EU climate policy with mixed, but mostly negative engagement. OMV’s industry review also did not disclose their membership of APPEA or IATA, who are lobbying against ambitious climate policy globally, and in Australia, respectively.