The French Total announced Friday its intention to withdraw from the powerful American Petroleum Institute (API), which brings together American industrialists in the hydrocarbon sector, due to differences on the climate issue.
“
Total announces its decision not to renew its membership for 2021,
” the company, which employs nearly 7,000 people in the United States, said in a statement.
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Following a routine review of its membership in various professional associations, Total believes that API positions are only “
partially aligned
” with its own on the climate.
The group criticizes him in particular for "
his support for the relaxation of US regulations on methane emissions
", his membership in a pressure group opposed to support for electric vehicles or even positions far from his on the principle of carbon pricing.
“
In addition, the API committed itself during the recent elections in favor of candidates who had expressed themselves against the support of the United States for the Paris Agreement
” on the climate, adds Total.
A century-old Washington-based organization, API boasts more than 600 member companies in the oil and gas industry.
She was also a few months ago congratulated on the willingness of the government of Donald Trump to launch the procedure for the sale of oil and gas concessions in the national arctic wildlife refuge, where polar bears and caribou live. .
“
As part of our Climate Ambition published in May 2020, we are committed to ensuring, in a transparent manner, that the professional associations to which we belong carry positions and messages aligned with those of the group in the fight against global warming
", Underlined Patrick Pouyanné, CEO of Total, quoted in the press release.
"
This transparency meets the expectations of our stakeholders, but it is also an essential guarantee of the credibility of our strategy
", he judged.
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Britain's BP had left three US oil associations last year that did not meet its objectives in the fight against climate change - but not the API, whose positions are however only "
partially aligned
" with his.