SSE
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 25 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? |
1
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2
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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) |
2
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2
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NA | NS | NS |
2
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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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1
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NS |
1
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NS |
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 |
1
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2
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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? |
1
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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. |
2
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1
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2
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1
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1
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2
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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. |
2
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2
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2
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0
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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 |
1
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1
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2
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1
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NS |
1
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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 |
1
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2
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1
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2
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1
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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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2
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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 |
2
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1
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2
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NS |
1
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2
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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 |
2
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NA | NA | NA | NS |
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
SSE is a member of IETA
Open PDF file of Data Source
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
SSE is a member of IETA
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
SSE is a member of IETA
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
SSE is a member of IETA
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
InfluenceMap Comment:
SSE is an indirect member of Eurelectric through EnergyUK
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
InfluenceMap Comment:
SSE subsidiary is an indirect member of Eurelectric through the EAI
not specified
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
InfluenceMap Comment:
CEO of SSE was vice-president of Eurelectric
Alistair Phillip-Davies
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
InfluenceMap Comment:
CEO of SSE was a vice-president of Eurelectric
Alistair Phillip-Davies
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
InfluenceMap Comment:
SSE is an indirect member of Eurelectric through EnergyUK
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
InfluenceMap Comment:
SSE subsidiary is an indirect member of Eurelectric through the EAI
not specified
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
InfluenceMap Comment:
CEO of SSE was vice-president of Eurelectric
Alistair Phillip-Davies
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
InfluenceMap Comment:
CEO of SSE was a vice-president of Eurelectric
Alistair Phillip-Davies
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: SSE appears to be actively and positively lobbying on climate change, including in its top-line statements, advocacy on specific climate policy and debate around the energy transition. The company is supportive of UK and EU net zero targets, and seems to be supportive of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: SSE demonstrates positive top-line messaging on climate policy. SSE is supportive of the Paris Agreement, stating in its 2020 Sustainability Report that it will “support the formation of policy in support of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change”. In 2020, it stated support for drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to avoid “global warming increases in excess of 1.5 °C”. This was reiterated in 2020, when in a Corporate Leaders Group letter to the UK Prime Minister, it stated strong support for achieving net zero emissions by 2050 through the European Green Deal in the EU. SSE’s CEO, Alistair Phillips-Davies, similarly stated support for emissions reductions in line with 1.5 °C in the company’s 2021 Sustainability Report. Alongside this, SSE advocated for increased ambition on climate change regulation through an open letter sent to European Environment and Climate Ministers in 2019.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: SSE has lobbied positively on climate-related regulations. The company appeared to support the establishment of a UK ETS, and called for it to be linked to the EU ETS in its 2021 Sustainability Report. SSE also appeared to support greater ambition in the EU ETS in its 2021 consultation response to the policy. SSE seems to be supportive of the implementation of a carbon tax as stated in the ‘News and Views’ section on its corporate website in 2020. Phillips-Davies also directly advocated to UK policymakers to both increase ambition for renewable energy policy and provide greater policy support for wind energy in 2019. SSE has supported the EU’s 2030 55% emission reduction target, co-signing an open letter in 2020 calling for increased ambition in the European Green Deal. The company also stated support for the UK’s 2035 78% GHG emission reduction target in its 2021 Sustainability Report.
Positioning on Energy Transition: SSE appears to have lobbied positively on transitioning the energy mix. In the company’s 2021 Annual Report, it stated support for the UK’s target to end sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. The company signed a Global Wind Energy Council joint letter in 2021 to express support for an expansion of renewable energy in the energy mix, and appeared to advocate for a ban on new coal investments. In 2020, SSE also stated support for the electrification of transport through increasing electric vehicle infrastructure on Twitter and placing bans on new sales of petrol and diesel vehicles in a Forbes article. The company’s 2021 Sustainability Report appeared to suggest support for the decarbonization of the heating sector, advocating for a switch from fossil gas to electricity and hydrogen.
Industry Association Governance: SSE does publicly disclose a list of some of its industry association memberships. However, it does not comment on their climate-related lobbying activities, nor has it published a full audit disclosure of its links to trade associations. The company is a member of the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) and Wind Europe. IETA has lobbied relatively positively on some strands of climate policy, whereas Wind Europe has strongly and positively engaged with most climate policy.