Application
In this section
ExxonMobil has defined 14 Sustainability Focus Areas that were developed by analyzing our environmental and social impacts, business strategies, and internal and external stakeholders’ priorities. We believe these focus areas have the most potential impact to both ExxonMobil as a company and society. And we develop strategies, allocate resources, and execute plans to address risks and opportunities within each of them.
Our Sustainability Focus Areas
Topic selection process
We conduct regular assessments to identify sustainability-related topics of interest to stakeholders and to enhance our understanding of current events and evolving business priorities. The findings help inform the development of our Sustainability Report.
Ipieca, the “global oil and gas association for advancing environmental and social performance across the energy transition,”1 defines important topics as those that, in the view of company management and external stakeholders, have the potential to significantly affect sustainability performance and stakeholder awareness, assessments, or decisions. In 2021, we engaged a third-party consultant to conduct a robust topic selection process in line with the Sustainability Reporting Guidance for the Oil and Gas Industry (4th edition, 2020, revised February 2023) developed by Ipieca, the American Petroleum Institute and the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers.
Sustainability reporting guidance for the oil and gas industry
We further identified topics based on peer benchmarking, a review of leading sustainability frameworks – including those published by the Global Reporting Initiative, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), and Ipieca – and other external research. We also engaged internal and external stakeholders to gather data on our community impacts and potential impacts on stakeholders. We analyzed peer and industry reporting, regulations, and media in order to provide data-driven insights into strategic, regulatory, and reputational risks and opportunities for ExxonMobil.
We carefully reviewed these inputs in order to select our topics. Our Global Operations and Sustainability leadership reviewed and validated the results of this topic selection process and supported alignment with our Sustainability Focus Areas.
Stakeholder engagement
We work to foster mutual understanding, trust, and cooperation with stakeholder groups on sustainability topics. We interact with these groups through community meetings, digital and social media, corporate publications, and one-on-one discussions. Open dialogue enables us to hear concerns, discuss approaches, and share our plans for the purposes of gathering feedback.
Some of our primary stakeholder groups include:
- Academia
- Communities
- Customers
- Employees
- Governments
- Nongovernmental organizations
- Shareholders
- Suppliers
- Trade associations and industry groups
We tailor our engagement approaches to best understand stakeholders’ views. We engage on topics such as technical projects, potential sustainability impacts, community concerns, and public policy development. We host sessions to share information on project updates, market-based approaches to sustainability matters, policy insights, and updates on the company’s safety, environmental, and human rights practices. We also meet one-on-one with many stakeholders as part of ongoing business relationships.
Engaging with shareholders
Ongoing engagement with our shareholders is vitally important as we seek to understand their diverse perspectives and keep them informed about our business. We engage with shareholders or their proxies on a range of issues throughout the year, including with institutional investors, retail shareholders, and pension funds. We also interact with a variety of outside groups, including nongovernmental organizations, financial analysts, industry thought leaders, financial rating firms, ESG rating firms, proxy advisors, and activists. We do this through individual or group meetings, Investor Day presentations, quarterly earnings calls, our Annual Shareholder Meeting, investor conferences, spotlight events, stakeholder outreach, and individualized, personal communications. Where possible, we reach out to institutional investors, asset management teams and their stewardship teams to make sure we correctly understand how they view our business in the context of their fiduciary duties to their clients.
Our engagements include a range of ExxonMobil participants, including our non-employee directors, our chairman and CEO, our CFO, our management committee, other senior leadership, and our leading subject matter experts from across the company.
Additionally, the Nominating and Governance Committee has established procedures for shareholders and other interested parties to communicate with Board members. Individuals can email our non-employee directors through the Corporate Governance page of our website. All communications are recorded by an ExxonMobil assistant secretary or designated staff member and forwarded to the appropriate director or directors, or otherwise handled as the Nominating and Governance Committee has directed.
Since 2017, we have increased our engagements on ESG issues with institutional investors, pension funds and labor, religious, and nongovernmental organizations by 88%. In 2022, our engagement reached shareholders representing 42% of total shares outstanding, or 69% of institutional shareholdings. These shareholder engagements can often address areas of interest without the need for formal shareholder proposals at the annual shareholders meeting.
Every year, shareholders or their proxies may submit proposals regarding operations or governance. Company management and the Board consider each proposal, and management seeks a dialogue with the proposal sponsor. When speaking with shareholders, we actively listen and, where possible, find common ground, potential for improvement, and a better understanding of the issues raised. More information can be found in ExxonMobil’s 2023 Proxy Statement.
At the 2023 annual meeting, shareholders owning approximately 3.4 billion outstanding shares, or more than 83%, were represented. In 2023, shareholders voted on 16 issues, including 12 shareholder proposals. More information on the voting outcomes can be found in the 2023 proxy voting results.
Corporate governance
2023 Proxy Statement
2023 Proxy Results
Engaging with Governments
Policy decisions made at all levels of government can have significant effects on our current and future operations, and we actively participate in discussions around the world to support policies that promote economic growth, stable investment for long-term business viability, and the development and acceleration of lower-emission alternatives.
We focus on practical policy solutions that recognize the increasing global need for affordable and reliable energy while enabling scalable development and deployment of lower- and zero- greenhouse gas emission technologies.
Durable and predictable market-driven policies can further encourage these developments and increase investments in lower-emission technologies to help achieve the Paris Agreement goals at the lowest cost to society.
ExxonMobil’s positions on climate, including its Scope 1 and 2 net-zero 2050 ambition from operated assets, and other key issues are available on our website and in our Advancing Climate Solutions Report, along with our annual proxy statement, press releases, and the Exxchange, our online advocacy hub. Our lobbying and political contributions are aligned with these positions.
Positions and principles
Climate Lobbying Report
Advancing Climate Solutions Report
Proxy Statement
Press releases
Exxchange
U.S. lobbying expenses
We undertake lobbying to advocate positions on issues that affect the company, the energy industry, and competitive free markets. These efforts are supported by a rigorous process to determine which public policy issues are of greatest importance to our business.
Our Report on Lobbying lists all U.S. organizations of which we or our affiliates are members, as well as membership fees and portions used for lobbying. The report also includes an accounting of the company’s direct and grassroots lobbying.
We fully comply with federal and state regulations by reporting federal lobbying to the U.S. Congress and state-level lobbying to appropriate entities, as required. We also publicly report, on a quarterly basis, our federal lobbying expenses and the specific issues lobbied. The total figure reported in our public Lobbying Disclosure Act filings includes expenses associated with the costs of employee federal lobbying, as well as those portions of payments to trade associations, coalitions, and think tanks spent on federal lobbying.
This process, along with the oversight of our lobbying and political engagement, can be found on our website.
ExxonMobil report on lobbying activities
2022 Lobbying Report
Political contributions
The Board of Directors has authorized ExxonMobil to make political contributions to candidate committees and other political organizations as permitted by applicable laws. The Board annually reviews our political contributions, as well as contributions from the company-sponsored Political Action Committee (PAC). Internal audits of the corporation’s public and government affairs activities routinely verify contribution amounts.
As a U.S. federal contractor, ExxonMobil has not used corporate treasury funds to support any federal candidates, national political parties, or other political committees, including Super Political Action Committees. ExxonMobil has chosen not to use treasury funds or PAC funds for direct independent political expenditures at the federal level, including electioneering2 communications.
Eligible employees and shareholders may participate in the U.S. political process by contributing to a voluntary, company-sponsored, federal PAC. ExxonMobil reports PAC contributions to the U.S. Federal Election Commission every month.
Transparency in payments to governments
We believe that disclosing relevant payments to governments is an important tool to reduce corruption, improve government accountability and promote greater economic stability worldwide. We consider the most successful transparency initiatives to be those that:
- Apply to all foreign, domestic, and state-owned companies.
- Protect proprietary information to promote commercial competitiveness.
- Comply with international trade conventions and treaties.
- Do not violate host government laws or contractual obligations.
FOOTNOTES:
- https://www.ipieca.org.
- “Electioneering communication” is the standard terminology used by the Federal Election Committee and also used in our Report on Lobbying. It includes any communication that refers to a clearly identified federal candidate, is publicly distributed within 30 days of a primary or 60 days of a general election and is targeted to the relevant electorate.
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Our approach to sustainability
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT WARNING
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT RELEVANT TO FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE “SAFE HARBOR” PROVISIONS OF THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995 AND OTHER IMPORTANT LEGAL DISCLAIMERS
Images or statements of future ambitions, plans, goals, events, projects, projections, opportunities, or conditions in the publications, including plans to reduce, abate, avoid or enable avoidance of emissions or reduce emissions intensity, sensitivity analyses, expectations, estimates, the development of future technologies, business plans, and sustainability efforts are dependent on future market factors, such as customer demand, continued technological progress, policy support and timely rule-making or continuation of government incentives and funding, and represent forward-looking statements. Similarly, emission-reduction roadmaps to drive toward net zero and similar roadmaps for emerging technologies and markets, and water management roadmaps to reduce freshwater intake and/or manage disposal, are forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future corporate, market or industry performance or outcomes for society and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control or are even unknown.
Actual future results, including the achievement of ambitions to reach Scope 1 and 2 net zero from operated assets by 2050, to reach Scope 1 and 2 net zero in Upstream Permian Basin unconventional operated assets by 2030, to eliminate routine flaring in-line with World Bank Zero Routine Flaring, to reach near zero methane emissions from operated assets and other methane initiatives, to meet greenhouse gas emission reduction plans or goals, divestment and start-up plans, and associated project plans; technology advances including in the timing and outcome of projects to capture and store CO2 supply lower-emission fuels, produce hydrogen, produce lithium, obtain data on detection, measurement and quantification of emissions including reporting of that data or updates to previous estimates, and use plastic waste as feedstock for advanced recycling; progress in sustainability focus areas; and reserve or resource changes could vary depending on changes in supply and demand and other market factors affecting future prices of oil, gas, petrochemical or new market products and services; future cash flows; our ability to execute operational objectives on a timely and successful basis; policy and consumer support for emission-reduction and other advanced products and technology; changes in international treaties, laws, regulations and incentives, including those greenhouse gas emissions, plastics, carbon storage and carbon costs; evolving reporting standards for these topics and evolving measurement standards for reported data; trade patterns and the development and enforcement of local, national and regional mandates; unforeseen technical or operational difficulties; the outcome of research efforts and future technology developments, including the ability to scale projects and technologies such as electrification of operations, advanced recycling, CCS, hydrogen production, or direct lithium extraction on a commercially competitive basis; availability of feedstocks for lower-emission fuels, hydrogen, or advanced recycling; changes in the relative energy mix across activities and geographies; the actions of competitors; changes in regional and global economic growth rates and consumer preferences; actions taken by governments and consumers resulting from a pandemic; changes in population growth, economic development or migration patterns; military build-ups, armed conflicts, or terrorism; and other factors discussed in this release and in Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in ExxonMobil’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2022 and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-Q, as well as under the heading “Factors Affecting Future Results” on the Investors page of ExxonMobil’s website at www.exxonmobil.com. The Advancing Climate Solutions Report includes 2022 greenhouse gas emissions performance data and Scope 3 Category 11 estimates for full-year 2022 as of March 1, 2023. The greenhouse gas intensity and greenhouse gas emission estimates include Scope 2 market-based emissions. The Sustainability Report, the Advancing Climate Solutions Report, and corresponding Executive Summaries were issued on Jan. 8, 2024. The content and data referenced in these publications focus primarily on our operations from Jan. 1, 2022 – Dec. 31, 2022, unless otherwise indicated. Tables on our “Metrics and data” page were updated on April 26, 2024, to reflect full-year 2023 data. Information regarding some known events or activities in 2023 are also included. No party should place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the dates of these publications. All forward-looking statements are based on management’s knowledge and reasonable expectations at the time of publication. We do not undertake to provide any further updates or changes to any data or forward-looking statements in these publications. Neither future distribution of this material nor the continued availability of this material in archive form on our website should be deemed to constitute an update or re-affirmation of these figures or statements as of any future date. Any future update will be provided only through a public disclosure indicating that fact.
ABOUT THE ADVANCING CLIMATE SOLUTIONS AND SUSTAINABILITY REPORTS
The Advancing Climate Solutions Report contains terms used by the TCFD, as well as information about how the disclosures in this report are consistent with the recommendations of the TCFD. In doing so, ExxonMobil is not obligating itself to use any terms in the way defined by the TCFD or any other party, nor is it obligating itself to comply with any specific recommendation of the TCFD or to provide any specific disclosure. For example, with respect to the term “material,” individual companies are best suited to determine what information is material, under the long-standing U.S. Supreme Court definition, and whether to include this information in U.S. Securities and Exchange Act filings. In addition, the ISSB is evaluating standards that provide their interpretation of TCFD which may or may not be consistent with the current TCFD recommendations.
These publications have been prepared at shareholders’ request or for their convenience and intentionally focused on unknown future events that we have been asked to consider. Forward-looking and other statements regarding environmental and other sustainability efforts and aspirations are not intended to communicate any material investment information under the laws of the United States or represent that these are required disclosures. These publications are not intended to imply that ExxonMobil has access to any significant non-public insights on future events that the reader could not independently research. In addition, historical, current, and forward-looking environmental and other sustainability-related statements may be based on standards for measuring progress that are still developing, internal controls and processes that continue to evolve, and assumptions that are subject to change in the future, including future laws and rulemaking. Forward-looking and other statements regarding environmental and other sustainability efforts and aspirations are for informational purposes only and are not intended as an advertisement for ExxonMobil’s equity, debt, businesses, products, or services and the reader is specifically notified that any investor-requested disclosure or future required disclosure is not and should not be construed as an inducement for the reader to purchase any product or services. The statements and analysis in these publications represent a good faith effort by the Company to address these investor requests despite significant unknown variables and, at times, inconsistent market data, government policy signals, and calculation, methodologies, or reporting standards.
Actions needed to advance ExxonMobil’s 2030 greenhouse gas emission-reductions plans are incorporated into its medium-term business plans, which are updated annually. The reference case for planning beyond 2030 is based on the Company’s Global Outlook research and publication. The Global Outlook is reflective of the existing global policy environment and an assumption of increasing policy stringency and technology improvement to 2050. However, the Global Outlook does not attempt to project the degree of required future policy and technology advancement and deployment for the world, or ExxonMobil, to meet net zero by 2050. As future policies and technology advancements emerge, they will be incorporated into the GIobal Outlook, and the Company’s business plans will be updated as appropriate. References to projects or opportunities may not reflect investment decisions made by the corporation or its affiliates. Individual projects or opportunities may advance based on a number of factors, including availability of supportive policy, permitting, technological advancement for cost-effective abatement, insights from the company planning process, and alignment with our partners and other stakeholders. Capital investment guidance in lower-emission investments is based on our corporate plan; however, actual investment levels will be subject to the availability of the opportunity set, public policy support, other factors, and focused on returns.
Energy demand modeling aims to replicate system dynamics of the global energy system, requiring simplifications. The reference to any scenario or any pathway for an energy transition, including any potential net-zero scenario, does not imply ExxonMobil views any particular scenario as likely to occur. In addition, energy demand scenarios require assumptions on a variety of parameters. As such, the outcome of any given scenario using an energy demand model comes with a high degree of uncertainty. For example, the IEA describes its NZE scenario as extremely challenging, requiring unprecedented innovation, unprecedented international cooperation, and sustained support and participation from consumers, with steeper reductions required each year since the scenario’s initial release. Third-party scenarios discussed in these reports reflect the modeling assumptions and outputs of their respective authors, not ExxonMobil, and their use or inclusion herein is not an endorsement by ExxonMobil of their underlying assumptions, likelihood, or probability. Investment decisions are made on the basis of ExxonMobil’s separate planning process but may be secondarily tested for robustness or resiliency against different assumptions, including against various scenarios. These reports contain information from third parties. ExxonMobil makes no representation or warranty as to the third-party information. Where necessary, ExxonMobil received permission to cite third-party sources, but the information and data remain under the control and direction of the third parties. ExxonMobil has also provided links in this report to third-party websites for ease of reference. ExxonMobil’s use of the third-party content is not an endorsement or adoption of such information.
ExxonMobil reported emissions, including reductions and avoidance performance data, are based on a combination of measured and estimated data. We assess our performance to support continuous improvement throughout the organization using our Environmental Performance Indicator (EPI) process. The reporting guidelines and indicators in the Ipieca, the American Petroleum Institute (API), the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers Sustainability Reporting Guidance for the Oil and Gas Industry (4th edition, 2020, revised February 2023) and key chapters of the GHG Protocol inform the EPI process and the selection of the data reported. Emissions reported are estimates only, and performance data depends on variations in processes and operations, the availability of sufficient data, the quality of those data and methodology used for measurement and estimation. Emissions data is subject to change as methods, data quality, and technology improvements occur, and changes to performance data may be updated. Emissions, reductions, abatements and enabled avoidance estimates for non-ExxonMobil operated facilities are included in the equity data and similarly may be updated as changes in the performance data are reported. ExxonMobil’s plans to reduce emissions are good-faith efforts based on current relevant data and methodology, which could be changed or refined. ExxonMobil works to continuously improve its approach to identifying, measuring, and addressing emissions. ExxonMobil actively engages with industry, including API and Ipieca, to improve emission factors and methodologies, including measurements and estimates.
Any reference to ExxonMobil’s support of, work with, or collaboration with a third-party organization within these publications do not constitute or imply an endorsement by ExxonMobil of any or all of the positions or activities of such organization. ExxonMobil participates, along with other companies, institutes, universities and other organizations, in various initiatives, campaigns, projects, groups, trade organizations, and other collaborations among industry and through organizations like the United Nations that express various ambitions, aspirations and goals related to climate change, emissions, sustainability, and the energy transition. ExxonMobil’s participation or membership in such collaborations is not a promise or guarantee that ExxonMobil’s individual ambitions, future performance or policies will align with the collective ambitions of the organizations or the individual ambitions of other participants, all of which are subject to a variety of uncertainties and other factors, many of which may be beyond ExxonMobil’s control, including government regulation, availability and cost-effectiveness of technologies, and market forces and other risks and uncertainties. Such third parties’ statements of collaborative or individual ambitions and goals frequently diverge from ExxonMobil’s own ambitions, plans, goals, and commitments. ExxonMobil will continue to make independent decisions regarding the operation of its business, including its climate-related and sustainability-related ambitions, plans, goals, commitments, and investments. ExxonMobil’s future ambitions, goals and commitments reflect ExxonMobil’s current plans, and ExxonMobil may unilaterally change them for various reasons, including adoption of new reporting standards or practices, market conditions; changes in its portfolio; and financial, operational, regulatory, reputational, legal and other factors.
References to “resources,” “resource base,” “recoverable resources” and similar terms refer to the total remaining estimated quantities of oil and natural gas that are expected to be ultimately recoverable. The resource base includes quantities of oil and natural gas classified as proved reserves, as well as quantities that are not yet classified as proved reserves, but that are expected to be ultimately recoverable. The term “resource base” is not intended to correspond to SEC definitions such as “probable” or “possible” reserves. For additional information, see the “Frequently Used Terms” on the Investors page of the Company’s website at www.exxonmobil.com under the header “Resources.” References to “oil” and “gas” include crude, natural gas liquids, bitumen, synthetic oil, and natural gas. The term “project” as used in these publications can refer to a variety of different activities and does not necessarily have the same meaning as in any government payment transparency reports.
Exxon Mobil Corporation has numerous affiliates, many with names that include ExxonMobil, Exxon, Mobil, Esso, and XTO. For convenience and simplicity, those terms and terms such as “Corporation,” “company,” “our,” “we,” and “its” are sometimes used as abbreviated references to one or more specific affiliates or affiliate groups. Abbreviated references describing global or regional operational organizations, and global or regional business lines are also sometimes used for convenience and simplicity. Nothing contained herein is intended to override the corporate separateness of affiliated companies. Exxon Mobil Corporation’s goals do not guarantee any action or future performance by its affiliates or Exxon Mobil Corporation’s responsibility for those affiliates’ actions and future performance, each affiliate of which manages its own affairs. For convenience and simplicity, words like venture, joint venture, partnership, co-venturer and partner are used to indicate business relationships involving common activities and interests, and those words may not indicate precise legal relationships. These publications cover Exxon Mobil Corporation’s owned and operated businesses and do not address the performance or operations of our suppliers, contractors or partners unless otherwise noted. In the case of certain joint ventures for which ExxonMobil is the operator, we often exercise influence but not control. Thus, the governance, processes, management and strategy of these joint ventures may differ from those in these reports. At the time of publication, ExxonMobil has completed the acquisition of Denbury Inc. and is in the process of acquiring Pioneer Natural Resources. These reports do not speak of these companies’ historic governance, risk management, strategy approaches or emissions performance unless specifically referenced.
These reports or any material therein is not to be used or reproduced without the permission of Exxon Mobil Corporation. All rights reserved.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FOR NON-GAAP AND OTHER MEASURES
The Resiliency section of the Advancing Climate Solutions Report mentions modeled operating cash flow in comparing different businesses over time in a future scenario. Historic operating cash flow is defined as net income, plus depreciation, depletion and amortization for consolidated and equity companies, plus noncash adjustments related to asset retirement obligations plus proceeds from asset sales. The Company’s long-term portfolio modeling estimates operating cash flow as revenue or margins less cash expenses, taxes and abandonment expenditures plus proceeds from asset sales before portfolio capital expenditures. The Company believes this measure can be helpful in assessing the resiliency of the business to generate cash from different potential future markets. The performance data presented in the Advancing Climate Solutions Report and Sustainability Report, including on emissions, is not financial data and is not GAAP data.