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The report finds that Equinor's investment strategy prioritizes oil and gas expansion and shareholder returns over renewable energy, with 2023 investments in oil and gas being 6.2 times higher than those in renewables. The analysis indicates that Equinor's 2030 production targets will be 61% higher than levels required for NZE alignment, and the company continues to develop 'climate bombs' in the Barents Sea and Vaca Muerta. Furthermore, Equinor is expanding its gas power capacity by 80% by 2030 and lacks a specific target for scope 3 emissions, which constitute 96% of its total emissions.

The report finds that Repsol's investment strategy prioritizes oil and gas and shareholder returns over renewable energy, with 2030 production targets projected to be 65% higher than those required for NZE alignment. While the company is diversifying into renewables and hydrogen, these remain marginal, with oil and gas expected to constitute over 70% of its energy mix by 2030. Additionally, the report notes that Repsol's scope 3 emission targets are less ambitious than its scope 1 and 2 targets, and its carbon intensity target for 2030 is 21.9% higher than the NZE.

Reclaim Finance finds that Shell's investment strategy prioritizes oil and gas expansion and shareholder returns over renewable energy, leading to production levels and LNG capacities that significantly exceed NZE requirements by 2030. The report notes that Shell has reduced its carbon intensity targets and relies heavily on unproven carbon capture and offsets, while its renewable energy growth remains marginal compared to its fossil fuel output.

The report claims that TotalEnergies is not transitioning to clean energy, instead planning to increase oil and gas production by 2-3% per year by 2028. It highlights that the global bond market is a critical funding source, providing 68% of the company's financing between 2016 and 2022. The document asserts that banks and investors use bonds to indirectly support projects like EACOP and Mozambique LNG while avoiding direct loan risks, and calls for an immediate end to the issuance of new bonds to align with 1.5°C warming limits.

The report concludes that TotalEnergies' strategy prioritizes oil and gas expansion and shareholder returns over the energy transition. It finds that the company's 2030 production targets and LNG capacity expansions significantly overshoot NZE limits, while its renewable energy growth relies primarily on acquisitions rather than organic development. Furthermore, the report argues that TotalEnergies' diversification into gas power, blue hydrogen, and bioenergy is unsustainable and that its emissions targets rely heavily on unproven carbon capture and offset technologies.

The briefing analyzes the ECB's Eurosystem collateral framework (ESCF), finding that it provides liquidity support to 34 fossil fuel companies, including major oil, gas, and coal developers. It argues that the ECB's planned 2024 limit on 'high-emitting companies' is insufficient because it overlooks financial subsidiaries and fails to remove the 'eligibility bonus' that eases financing for these firms. The report further highlights that haircuts for fossil fuel assets are often too low—some as low as 1% for Eni and TotalEnergies—and do not account for 'stranding risk' or environmental damage. Reclaim Finance recommends a full exclusion of companies developing new fossil fuel fields and a revision of haircuts to align with climate-related financial risks.

The methodology focuses on indicators with a 2030 horizon to align with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal. It evaluates companies across five main dimensions: current energy production (using a fossil fuel equivalence method to compare renewables and fossil fuels), cash-flow allocation (analyzing CAPEX for exploration versus low-carbon solutions), fossil fuel strategy (assessing upstream expansion and production overshoot relative to the IEA Net Zero Emissions scenario), diversification strategy (projecting 2030 energy mixes), and emission targets (calculating carbon intensity excess and reliance on CCUS and offsets). The analysis covers 6 European companies (BP, Eni, Equinor, Repsol, Shell, TotalEnergies), 2 US companies (Chevron, ExxonMobil), and 4 National Oil Companies (ADNOC, Petrobras, QatarEnergy, Saudi Aramco).

The report argues that while ENGIE has ambitious renewable energy targets, its overall climate plan is not aligned with a 1.5°C trajectory due to continued investments in fossil gas infrastructure, long-term LNG contracts for fracked US gas, and a reliance on immature technologies like CCUS and large-scale renewable gas. It highlights a lack of precise intermediate absolute emission targets and insufficient methane reporting as key governance failures.

The report highlights that the steel sector accounts for 11% of global CO2 emissions, with 90% of these emissions stemming from coal-based production. Between 2016 and June 2023, 354 banks provided $429 billion to the 100 largest steel producers, with a significant portion coming from a small group of US and European banks. The document concludes that current bank decarbonization targets are inadequate to stop the expansion of coal-based steel capacity and calls for stricter sector-specific policies.

The report highlights a policy gap in the operations of Allianz, Aviva, AXA, and Generali, noting that while these firms have pledged net zero emissions by 2050 and agreed to stop underwriting new oil and gas fields, they continue to provide capital to fossil fuel developers through bond purchases and asset management subsidiaries. It further criticizes these insurers for voting in favor of inadequate climate plans and executive remuneration at annual general meetings of oil and gas companies.

The report reveals that 70% of analyzed 'sustainable' passive funds from five major asset managers are exposed to fossil fuel expansion, highlighting a critical 'blindspot' in climate policies. It argues that passive investing is not a neutral process but a series of active management choices, and calls for regulators to forbid the sale of funds with misleading sustainability claims that support fossil fuel developers.

The report 'Steeling Our Future' by Reclaim Finance analyzes the financing of the 100 largest steel producers, finding that banks provided US$429 billion to these companies between 2016 and June 2023. It highlights a critical gap between banks' climate commitments and their continued support for coal-based blast furnace (BF-BOF) production, which accounts for nearly 90% of steel sector emissions. The document argues that current decarbonization targets are insufficient and calls for an immediate end to financing for new blast furnaces and the relining of existing ones to avoid stranded asset risks estimated at US$554 billion. It advocates for a shift toward hydrogen-based direct reduction of iron (HDRI) and electric arc furnaces (EAF) powered by sustainable electricity.

Reclaim Finance criticizes the French government for attempting to sabotage the European Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) by demanding that the employee threshold for company applicability be raised from 500 to 5,000. This move would exempt approximately 14,000 companies from the directive's requirements to prevent human rights violations and environmental pollution in their value chains.

Reclaim Finance accuses the French government of attempting to undermine the European Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. The organization claims that France, via Bruno Le Maire, is demanding the company size threshold be raised from 500 employees to 5,000 employees, which would exempt approximately 14,000 companies from the requirement to prevent human rights violations and environmental pollution in their value chains.

The statement warns that a December agreement on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive is at risk due to lobbying and potential abstention by Germany during the Council of the European Union vote. While the authors view the text as a major step for regulating multinationals, they criticize the exclusion of financial services from its scope and call for the French government to ensure its adoption to protect human rights and the environment.

NGOs warn that the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive is at risk of being blocked in the European Council due to pressure from corporate lobby groups and internal divisions within the German government. While the authors argue the directive is a necessary step for regulating multinationals, they criticize the exclusion of financial services from its scope.

Reclaim Finance criticizes Engie for paying record dividends of 4.1 billion euros in 2023 while continuing to expand its fossil gas infrastructure, including LNG imports and new power plants in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Chile.

Reclaim Finance argues that Barclays' updated climate policies are insufficient and constitute greenwashing, as they lack firm commitments to end fossil fuel expansion and dilute previous energy transition engagements.

Reclaim Finance argues that Barclays' updated climate policies are insufficient and misleading, claiming the bank continues to support oil and gas expansion through corporate finance and vague frameworks. The analysis asserts that the bank's Transition Finance Framework includes problematic technologies like 'blue' hydrogen and CCUS, while failing to set specific, science-based financing targets for sustainable power.

The document analyzes the limitations of both shareholder engagement and full divestment in the oil and gas sector, citing recent moves by Dutch pension funds PFZW and ABP. It argues that while divestment may not provide immediate financial pressure on companies, total withdrawal removes necessary levers of influence. Reclaim Finance proposes a strategy of stopping new capital injections (specifically new bonds) while using voting rights to block 'climaticide' strategies, including voting against director re-elections and dividend distributions.