Volvo Group
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? |
1
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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) |
2
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1
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NA | NS |
2
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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? |
NS | NS | NS | NS |
2
|
NS | 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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NS | NS | NS |
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 |
-2
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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 | NS | NS |
1
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NS | NS |
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Emissions Trading
Is the organisation supporting policy and legislative measures to address climate change: emissions trading. |
NS | NS | NS | NS |
1
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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 |
0
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1
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NS |
-1
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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 |
NS |
1
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NS |
0
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0
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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 |
Open PDF file of Data Source
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
President of major subsidiary Mack Trucks is on the board of NAM
Martin Weissburg
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
Is a member of NAM. Executive Vice President Volvo Group is Volvo Group representative for National Association of Manu facturers (NAM)
Dennis Slagle
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
President of major subsidiary Mack Trucks is on the board of NAM
Martin Weissburg
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
Is a member of NAM. Executive Vice President Volvo Group is Volvo Group representative for National Association of Manu facturers (NAM)
Dennis Slagle
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
Subsidiary of Volvo Group is a member of SIAM
Mr Suresh Chettiar
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
Is a member of SIAM
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
Subsidiary of Volvo Group is a member of SIAM
Mr Suresh Chettiar
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
Is a member of SIAM
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
Director of subsidiary Volvo Compact Equipment is on the board of a sub-federation of UIMM
Dominique Gertner
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
Director of subsidiary Volvo Compact Equipment is on the board of a sub-federation of UIMM
Dominique Gertner
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
A subsidiary of Volvo is an indirect member of BDI via VDA
not specified
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
A subsidiary of Volvo is an indirect member of BDI via VDA
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
A subsidiary of Volvo is an indirect member of BDI via VDA
not specified
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
InfluenceMap Comment:
A subsidiary of Volvo is an indirect member of BDI via VDA
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: Volvo Group is engaging with a variety of strands of climate policy with mixed positions in 2018-21. The company has stated support for high-level climate policy such as the European Green Deal, but appears to take more mixed positions on detailed regulation, including policies to encourage the uptake of zero-emissions trucks such as California’s Advanced Clean Trucks Regulation. The company retains memberships to a number of trade associations known to be obstructive on climate policy.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Volvo Group appears to have positive top-line messaging on climate policy in line with the recommendations of the IPCC. The company has stated support for the Paris Agreement in its 2020 Sustainability Report, released in 2021, and its CEO, Martin Lundstedt, signed a joint letter in September 2020 supporting the EU’s Green Deal and a 2050 climate neutrality target. In an April 2020 Bloomberg article, Volvo Group also stated its support for a ‘green recovery’ from COVID-19 for the EU in line with a net zero EU by 2050.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: Volvo Group appears to be engaged on GHG standards for vehicles with mixed positions. In 2018, Volvo Group appears to have advocated to the Swedish Government that the EU Commission proposed CO2 targets for heavy-duty vehicles are “far too ambitious”, instead suggesting weaker targets with smaller penalties. In a 2018 consultation response to the EU Commission on emissions standards for heavy vehicles, the company appears to support stringency relaxation for certain vehicle groups, supporting various labelling schemes and incentives over standards. Despite this, Volvo’s 2019 Sustainability Report (released in 2020) states that EU efforts to regulate CO2 emissions from heavy-duty vehicles proceeded with “broad support from the Volvo Group.” A 2021 media report also suggests Volvo Group advocated for EU policymakers to support a carbon tax and emissions trading. A 2021 media report also suggests Volvo Group advocated for EU policymakers to support a carbon tax and emissions trading, and in 2020 the CEO of Volvo Group signed a joint letter supporting a 55% 2030 EU GHG emissions target.
In the United States, a 2020 consultation response from Volvo Group appeared to advocate for weaker US GHG emissions standards for vocational vehicle engines. Moreover, another 2020 US consultation from Volvo Group appeared to advocate that further increasing federal emissions and greenhouse gas standards for vehicles will “further elevate system complexity while posing considerable financial and reputational risk” for original equipment manufacturers.
Positioning on Energy Transition: Volvo Group has stated general support for the decarbonization of road transport in a December 2020 press release and, in a joint statement in December 2020 with ACEA and numerous other European truck makers, has called for commercial vehicles to be ‘fossil free’ by 2040. The company also, in an April 2021 press release supported the electrification of heavy-duty vehicles, alongside promoting the use of hydrogen according to a 2021 media report. Volvo’s CEO, Martin Lundstedt, also signed a joint letter in 2021 supporting an expansion of renewables in the EU energy mix. However, Volvo Group appears to have opposed California’s Advanced Clean Trucks Regulation, arguing in a consultation response that sales mandates were inappropriate and supporting greater flexibility in the regulation in December 2019 and May 2020.
Industry Association Governance: Volvo Group provides a disclosure of its global memberships of industry associations on a dedicated webpage in 2021 but provides no further details of the company's role within each organization's governing bodies nor influence over their climate change policy positions. The company is a member of numerous obstructive trade associations; the chairman of Volvo Group, Carl-Henric Svanberg is the chair of European Round Table for Industry (ERT) and the company’s CEO, Martin Lundstedt is on the board of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), while the president of major subsidiary Mack Trucks is on the board of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). Volvo Group is also a member of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and German Automotive Association (VDA).