Exxon Mobil Corporation | Lobbying Expenditures Disclosure at EXXONMOBIL CORPORATION

Status
Withdrawn
AGM date
Previous AGM date
Resolution details
Company ticker
XOM
Resolution ask
Report on or disclose
ESG theme
  • Governance
ESG sub-theme
  • Lobbying / political engagement
Type of vote
Shareholder proposal
Filer type
Shareholder
Company sector
Energy
Company HQ country
United States
Resolved clause
United Steelworks has filed the following resolution. This will be updated in the lead filer field as soon as possible.

Shareholders request the preparation of a report, updated annually, disclosing: • Company policy and procedures governing lobbying, both direct and indirect, and grassroots lobbying communications. • Payments by ExxonMobil used for (a) direct or indirect lobbying or (b) grassroots lobbying communications, including in each case the amount of the payment and the recipient. • Description of management’s and the Board’s decision-making process and oversight for making payments described above. For purposes of this proposal, a grassroots lobbying communication is a communication directed to the general public that (a) refers to specific legislation or regulation, (b) reflects a view on the legislation or regulation and (c) encourages the recipient of the communication to take action with respect to the legislation or regulation. Indirect lobbying is lobbying engaged in by a trade association or other organization of which ExxonMobil is a member. Both direct and indirect lobbying and grassroots lobbying communications include efforts at the local, state and federal levels. The report shall be presented to the Public Issues and Contributions Committee and posted on ExxonMobil’s website.
Supporting statement
ExxonMobil spent $129,140,000 from 2010 – 2020 on federal lobbying. This does not include state lobbying expenditures, where disclosure is uneven or absent. And Exxon also lobbies abroad, spending between €3,250,000 – 3,499,999 on lobbying in Europe for 2020. ExxonMobil fails to disclose its third-party payments to trade associations and social welfare organizations, or the amounts used for lobbying, to shareholders. Companies can give unlimited amounts to third party groups that spend millions on lobbying and often undisclosed grassroots activity, and these groups may be spending at least double what’s publicly reported.1 ExxonMobil belongs to the American Petroleum Institute (API), Business Roundtable, Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Manufacturers, which together spent $113,498,000 on lobbying for 2020, and supports social welfare organizations that lobby, like the Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA). CEA has drawn attention for its involvement in grassroots campaigns that sent emails and letters using the names and addresses of people without their knowledge.2 We believe ExxonMobil’s lack of lobbying disclosure presents reputational risks that could harm long-term value creation. For example, ExxonMobil supports the Paris climate agreement, yet API reportedly lobbies behind the scenes to weaken environmental legislation, with a secretly recorded Exxon lobbyist describing API as the industry’s ‘whipping boy’ to direct public and political criticism away from individual companies.3 And the New York Times noted Exxon’s involvement in multiple influence campaigns run by FTI Consulting designed to represent grassroots support.4 Highlighting these risks, Norway’s largest private asset manager Storebrand divested from ExxonMobil citing its lobbying practices, including trade groups.5 Last year, this proposal received majority support from shareholders, including support from Blackrock and Vanguard. We urge ExxonMobil to expand its lobbying disclosure.

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