The French oil company Total has ended its membership in the American Petroleum Institute, Maritime Executive reports. Total operates one of the world’s largest styrene and polystyrene facilities in Carville, La., and has an active presence in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico offshore sector, including the Anchor field and the North Platte discovery, both off the Louisiana coast.
Total said that it reviewed API’s policy positions and assessed that they were only partially aligned with its own, citing differences over methane emissions, decarbonization and carbon pricing.
“Total acknowledges the API’s considerable contribution, for over a century, to the development of our industry,” says Patrick Pouyanné, chairman and CEO of Total, in a statement. “Nevertheless, as part of our Climate Ambition made public in May 2020 we are committed to ensuring, in a transparent manner, that the industry associations of which we are a member adopt positions and messages that are aligned with those of the group in the fight against climate change.
“This transparency responds to our stakeholders’ expectations, as well as being an essential guarantee of the credibility of our strategy,” he adds. See the full story at Maritime Executive.
