Occidental Petroleum
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.
Update August 2021: If limited evidence had been collected either on a company's direct policy engagement (Organization Score) or industry association links (Relationship Score) this is signified with an ‘n/a’ (not available). If limited evidence has been collected in both areas, the Total Score is also given as n/a. Full details and links back to any primary evidence that has been collected can still be located on the company’s profile.
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.
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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. . |
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Communication of Climate Science
Is the organization transparent and clear about its position on climate change science? |
0
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NS | NS | NS |
0
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1
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0
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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) |
-1
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0
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NA | NS | NS |
1
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NS |
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Supporting the Need for Regulations
To what extent does the organization express the need for regulatory intervention to resolve the climate crisis? |
-1
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NS | NA | NS | NS |
0
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NS |
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Support of UN Climate Process
Is the organization supporting the UN FCCC process on climate change? |
0
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NS | NS | NS |
2
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-1
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NS |
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Transparency on Legislation
Is the organisation transparent about its positions on climate change legislation/policy and its activities to influence it? |
0
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NA |
-1
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NA | NA | NA | NS |
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Carbon Tax
Is the organisation supporting policy and legislative measures to address climate change: carbon tax. |
NS | NS |
0
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NS | NS |
-1
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NS |
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Emissions Trading
Is the organisation supporting policy and legislative measures to address climate change: emissions trading. |
NS | NS |
0
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-1
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NS |
1
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NS |
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Energy and Resource Efficiency
Is the organization supporting policy and legislative measures to address climate change: energy efficiency policy, standards, and targets |
0
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NS | NS | NS |
-1
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NS | NS |
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Renewable Energy
Is the organization supporting policy and legislative measures to address climate change: Renewable energy legislation, targets, subsidies, and other policy |
0
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NS | NS |
-1
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NS | NS |
0
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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
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1
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NS |
-1
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-2
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-1
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0
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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 |
0
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NS |
0
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-1
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-2
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NS |
0
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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? |
0
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NS |
-1
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NA | NA | NA | NS |
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
Oxy is the chair of the US-Iraq Business Council
Open PDF file of Data Source
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
Occidental Petroleum is a member of the Chamber
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
Oxy is the chair of the US-Iraq Business Council
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
Occidental Petroleum is a member of the Chamber
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
A subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum has an executive on the AFPM's Board of Directors
Burnis J. Herbert
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
A subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum is a regular member of AFPM
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
A subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum has an executive on the AFPM's Board of Directors
Burnis J. Herbert
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
A subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum is a regular member of AFPM
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
CEO is a member of NPC
Vicki Hollub
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
CEO is a Member of NPC
Vicki A. Hollub
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
CEO is a member of NPC
Vicki Hollub
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
CEO is a Member of NPC
Vicki A. Hollub
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
Occidental Petroleum is a member of API
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
Occidental Petroleum is a member of API
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
Occidental Petroleum is a member of API
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
Occidental Petroleum is a member of API
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
Subsidiary of Occidental petroleum is a member of ACC
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
Subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum is a member of ACC
not specified
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
Subsidiary of Occidental petroleum is a member of ACC
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
Subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum is a member of ACC
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: Occidental Petroleum appears to be broadly negatively engaged with climate policy. In its top-messaging, there is limited evidence of support for ambitious action to respond to climate change, and appears to have not supported specific climate-related regulations such as carbon taxing or greenhouse gas emissions targets in the US. Occidental Petroleum also continues to support a continued role for oil and gas in the energy mix, with widespread use of CCS.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Occidental Petroleum appears to have mixed support for climate policy in its top-line messaging. In June 2019, CEO Vicki Hollub signed a joint letter recognizing the need for “sustained, large-scale action ... to keep global warming below 2°C” and appeared to maintain this position in comments from December 2020.
However, it is unclear whether Occidental Petroleum is supportive of ambitious policy on climate change. In June 2019, Occidental Petroleum called for “economically meaningful” market-based mechanisms to respond to climate change, but its support for the need for other government regulation was unclear. Furthermore, CEO Vicki Hollub appeared to suggest in October 2018 that companies could reduce CO2 emissions without being “told to do it”, leaving the need for policy uncertain. Similarly, in January 2018, Occidental stated opposition to regional or sector specific GHG emission regulations due to the "inherent limits in their ability to affect any human-induced climate change."
Occidental also shows a mixed position on the Paris Agreement. In October 2018, CEO Vicki Hollub stated that the US decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate agreement was “the right thing for the country”. However in comments from February 2021, Hollub appeared to express support for the Paris Agreement goals.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: Occidental Petroleum appears largely unsupportive of specific climate-related regulations, despite claiming to be “neutral” on many policy areas. The company has stated that it is "neutral" on carbon taxes and emission trading schemes via its 2019 responses to CDP's Climate Change Information Requests, but specified that it does not support mandatory GHG emission controls that apply only to certain sectors. However, in October 2018, CEO Vicki Hollub stated that it was “too soon to support a carbon tax” in the US. Similarly, in its 2019 CDP response, Occidental has stated it is neutral on methane regulations. Furthermore, in October 2018, Occidental appears to have supported loosening of GHG emissions standards under the replacement of the Clean Power Plan by the Trump administration.
Positioning on Energy Transition: Occidental Petroleum appears to have actively supported measures to maintain a high GHG energy mix. Occidental Petroleum appears to have repeatedly (and successfully) lobbied for substantial financial support for the oil & gas industry throughout 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes successfully lobbying for access to financial assistance from the Federal Reserve’s Main Street Lending Program in May 2020 and organizing a letter-writing campaign amongst Occidental employees aimed at members of Congress advocating for financial assistance for the oil industry in April 2020. Additionally, CEO Vicki Hollub met with President Donald Trump in April 2020 to directly advocate for financial support for the fossil fuel industry.
Occidental Petroleum appears to show limited support for renewables; in February 2021, CEO Vicki Hollub appeared to support misinformation around the Texas blackouts, erroneously blaming “the limitations of some renewable energy systems in extreme climate conditions” for the disaster.
Occidental Petroleum instead appears advocates a major role for CCS in the energy mix with significant long term use of fossil fuels, especially oil and gas. In September 2019 CEO Vicki Hollub stated “There’s no way to cap global warming without significant sequestration and use of CO2… As much as some people want oil and gas to go away in the next couple of decades, it cannot”. Similarly, Occidental Petroleum appears to support an ongoing role for coal in the energy mix with CCS without reference to need for early retirement of coal plants. In October 2018, Occidental stated in a submission to the EPA, “CCUS also provides a pathway to reconcile the reality of a large and relatively young fleet of coal-fired power stations with the need for deep emissions reductions.”
Industry Association Governance: Occidental Petroleum has disclosed its membership to a number of industry associations. However, the company has not disclosed how Occidental is engaging with these associations on climate change policy, nor disclosed what their climate-relevant policy positions are or whether they are in alignment with Occidental's own positions. Occidental Petroleum retains membership of several organizations which are oppositional to US climate change regulation, including the American Petroleum Institute and the US Chamber of Commerce.