Trade groups under climate pressure

Abstract

The French oil and gas firm Total says it will leave the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers because the trade association is not aligned with Total’s policies on climate change. The move follows a similar announcement by Shell, which said in April it would leave the group in 2020. Unlike the trade group, Total and Shell say they support the goals of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, as well as policies that support a price on carbon and investment in low-carbon technologies. Total says it may also pull out of other trade groups, including the American Chemistry Council, that have only “partial alignment” with the firm’s policies. The ACC’s climate policy principles do not mention the Paris Agreement or explicitly support a price on carbon. The group’s policy document calls for meaningful reduction in US greenhouse gas emissions “while minimizing the costs to society.” It also says policy should focus