Unilever and VW claim ‘positive’ lobbying impact in first official CSRD reports

Expert says ‘bold’ statements will be judged in the court of public opinion.

Volkswagen and Unilever have both claimed their policy advocacy in FY2024 benefited people and the environment.  

In what may mark the start of a new trend, the pair recorded their lobbying efforts as a ‘positive impact’ in their first mandatory reports under the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). 

“The Volkswagen Group has a positive impact on the focus on sustainable mobility through lobbying activities, particularly in the upstream and downstream value chain, but also in its own operations,” VW wrote.   

Unilever reached the same conclusion, saying it “is actively lobbying governments, regulators and other third parties to influence policies and regulations that will help to drive change in four key areas: climate, nature, plastics and livelihoods”. 

Jules Peck, a specialist in responsible policy engagement at environmental consultancy ERM, said including corporate lobbying in the list of business activities with a positive impact on people and the planet was a “bold claim”.  

“Companies will have to substantiate that in the court of public opinion,” he added. 

Ciara Ellis, a senior analyst at the NGO InfluenceMap, which monitors and assesses corporate lobbying, says it’s the first time she’s seen any company claiming to have a positive material impact through policy advocacy. 

She said the claims should be backed up with credible evidence.  

Track records 

Unilever is well-known for its leadership on responsible lobbying, publishing a review last year of how its business associations were engaging on climate-related issues. 

More recently, it broke ranks with the European Round Table on Industry (ERT) over a letter the trade body sent to policymakers on behalf of its members, including Unilever. 

The letter urged the European Commission to aggressively reduce its sustainability reporting and due diligence rules. Unilever was one of three companies to add a disclaimer to the document, distancing itself from the requests and expressing support for the laws. 

InfluenceMap has awarded Unilever a score of 100% for its lobbying review, but does not attempt to assess the real-world impact of the firm’s advocacy work.   

Volkswagen’s most recent climate lobbying review received a score of 29% from InfluenceMap.  

Multiple media reports over the past two years allege the German car giant has campaigned for less stringent green rules for Europe’s auto industry, although it has expressed support for the goals of the Paris Agreement and for climate measures in Australia. 

Volkswagen said in a section on lobbying in its sustainability statement that it doesn’t monitor “the effectiveness of the policies and actions in relation to the positive impact and the risk identified through the materiality assessment”.  

Last month, REP wrote about emerging trends in the first wave of CSRD reports, with one expert saying it was unlikely any company has a meaningfully positive impact on climate change. The focus should instead be on minimising harms, she explained.   

But Peck believes it is possible when it comes to lobbying, if firms “do it in the right way” – transparently, and in line with global standards.  

However, he noted, they should also disclose the negative impacts of their policy advocacy.    

“You hope that they’re going to be declaring the good, the bad and the ugly,” he said.