AT&T Inc – Lobbying Governance & Transparency

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Lobbying Governance

Overall Assessment	Analysis	Score
Limited	AT&T discloses that it seeks to ensure external engagement is consistent with its climate ambitions, noting that "we engage in activities that align with our Climate Change Policy and strategy" and that, when choosing partners or organizations to support, "we ensure their values and goals align with ours and therefore also align with the Paris agreement." This indicates the company has at least some review step to keep external advocacy or collaboration in line with its climate commitments. However, the remaining disclosures focus on general climate-strategy governance—such as the Board’s Governance & Policy Committee receiving updates from the Chief Sustainability Officer and overseeing "climate initiatives and reporting"—without explaining how lobbying or policy-advocacy activities are monitored, approved, or audited. We found no evidence of a formal procedure to evaluate the climate positions of trade associations, no description of how direct lobbying is checked for alignment, and no identified individual or committee charged specifically with lobbying-governance duties. Consequently, while AT&T signals an intention to align its engagement with the Paris Agreement, it does not disclose a defined governance framework or accountability mechanisms dedicated to climate-lobbying alignment, leaving the depth and rigor of such oversight unclear. View Sources	D

Overall Assessment

Analysis

Score

Limited

AT&T discloses that it seeks to ensure external engagement is consistent with its climate ambitions, noting that "we engage in activities that align with our Climate Change Policy and strategy" and that, when choosing partners or organizations to support, "we ensure their values and goals align with ours and therefore also align with the Paris agreement." This indicates the company has at least some review step to keep external advocacy or collaboration in line with its climate commitments. However, the remaining disclosures focus on general climate-strategy governance—such as the Board’s Governance & Policy Committee receiving updates from the Chief Sustainability Officer and overseeing "climate initiatives and reporting"—without explaining how lobbying or policy-advocacy activities are monitored, approved, or audited. We found no evidence of a formal procedure to evaluate the climate positions of trade associations, no description of how direct lobbying is checked for alignment, and no identified individual or committee charged specifically with lobbying-governance duties. Consequently, while AT&T signals an intention to align its engagement with the Paris Agreement, it does not disclose a defined governance framework or accountability mechanisms dedicated to climate-lobbying alignment, leaving the depth and rigor of such oversight unclear.

View Sources

Lobbying Transparency

Overall Assessment	Analysis	Score
Moderate	AT&T gives a reasonable but still selective window into its climate-policy lobbying. It names two identifiable initiatives it engages on: the Climate Leadership Council’s proposed carbon fee-and-dividend plan and the Set-Top Box Voluntary Agreements for energy-efficient equipment, providing detail on each policy’s scope, objectives and U.S. federal jurisdiction. The company explains that it is "a founding member of the Climate Leadership Council" and notes its role as a signatory to the STB agreements, showing the main mechanisms it uses, yet it does not reveal the form of its direct outreach or which legislators or agencies it contacts, so the methods and targets remain largely generic. AT&T is explicit about what it wants these policies to achieve, backing “a rising fee on carbon emissions, rebating revenues as dividends to all Americans, a border-adjustment mechanism and regulatory simplification,” and stating it "supports with no exceptions" the CLC plan; for the STB agreements it seeks “rigorous third-tier energy performance levels by 2020” to avoid 9.3 million tonnes of CO₂ annually. Overall, the company outlines clear policy positions and desired outcomes but offers limited insight into how and to whom it actually lobbies.	C