Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNRL)
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 | NS | NS | NS |
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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) |
0
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2
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NA | NS |
-2
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-1
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-1
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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? |
0
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NS | NS |
-1
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-1
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1
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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? |
1
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1
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NA | NS | NS | NS | 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 |
0
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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. |
0
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NS |
-1
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NS |
-1
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-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 |
-1
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NS | NS | NS | 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 |
1
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NS |
0
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NS | NS | 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 |
NS | NS | NS | NS | NS | NS | NS |
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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? |
-1
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-1
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NS |
-1
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-1
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-1
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NS |
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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 |
1
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NS |
-1
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1
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NS |
-1
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NS |
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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? |
-1
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NS |
-1
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NA | NA | NA | NS |
Open PDF file of Data Source
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
CNRL is one of 46 members of the Mining Association of Canada and a senior executive at CNRL, Shawn Neilson, Vice President of Mining (Albian Sands) sits on the board of directors of the MAC.
Shawn Neilson
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
CNRL is one of 46 members of the Mining Association of Canada and a senior executive at CNRL, Shawn Neilson, Vice President of Mining (Albian Sands) sits on the board of directors of the MAC.
Shawn Neilson
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: Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL) does not appear to be fully supporting progressive policy to respond to climate change. CNRL maintains support for a high GHG energy mix, in particular appearing to support an ongoing role for natural gas in the future energy mix.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL) appears to have a mixed stance on climate policy in its top-line messaging. In June 2021, CNRL and other major Canadian oil sands producers formed the Oil Sands Pathway to Net-Zero, within which it states support for the net-zero by 2050 target and the Paris Agreement. CNRL has stated support on its website for GHG emissions reductions as of February 2021 and appeared to support Canada’s role in the Paris Agreement. Similarly, although CNRL stated on its website in February 2021 on that it supports government regulation in response to climate change, evidence suggests it is may not fully support ambitious policy. For example, in its Annual Information Report from March 2020, it emphasized the need for “a balanced approach to sustainable development” and elsewhere on its website as of February 2021 it states that climate regulations should not compromise the competitiveness of energy intensive, trade exposed industries.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL) appears to have mixed engagement with specific climate regulations. CNRL states on its website that “We are not engaged on aspects of broader climate policy beyond the oil and natural gas industry, including broad-based carbon tax”. However, it appears that CNRL has actively lobbied on elements of climate change policy. For example, in March 2020, President Tim McKay signed an open letter to the federal government calling for the planned increase to the federal carbon tax to be postponed due to COVID-19. Furthermore, while CNRL has maintained support for a carbon pricing scheme such as a carbon tax since 2016, this support seems contingent on allowances for energy-intensive industries and revenues being directed toward developing technologies. In June 2019, CNRL stated support for the Alberta Climate Leadership plan, which includes policies to improve energy efficiency.
In its 2020 CDP response, CNRL appeared to support methane regulations with major exceptions, calling for regulations to be “implemented in a staged approach” and reflect reductions in emissions already achieved. Also in its 2020 CDP response, CNRL appeared to support emissions trading measures which could weaken overall climate ambition by advocating for trading international carbon credits without placing clear quantitative limits on their use.
Positioning on Energy Transition: Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL) does not appear to be fully supporting the transition of the energy mix. As of February 2021, CNRL maintains support for a growing role for natural gas in the energy mix without clear conditions related to the deployment of CCS, as well as claiming: “as the world’s demand for energy, significant crude oil and natural gas resources will need to be developed”. CNRL’s registration on the Alberta Lobbyist Registry shows from August 2020 to February 2021 it has lobbied policymakers for an ongoing role for natural gas in the energy mix as part of the phase out of coal. Additionally, over the same period, it has lobbied for new financial subsidies to support the oil and gas industry in the wake of COVID-19. In August 2019, CNRL called for Canadian voters to pressure politicians to support the Albertan oil sands industry. Through its membership of the Oil Sands Pathway to Net-Zero alliance in 2021, it recognizes the need to reduce emissions from oil sands and that alternative energy sources will play an increasingly important role, but also highlights the need for fossil fuels through 2050 and the continuation of tax credits for oil sands production.
Industry Association Governance: Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL) appears to show limited transparency its membership of industry associations and does not appear to have undertaken an audit of its industry associations’ lobbying on climate change policy. CNRL has disclosed its membership of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), [81250 the Mining Association of Canada, Oil & Gas UK, all of which appear to be engaging negatively on climate change policy. However, CNRL has not disclosed further details of each of these organization's climate change policy positions or indicated whether CNRL’s climate change policy positions are aligned with the industry associations in question.