Occidental Petroleum

Industries Energy
Activism

Companies that likely use Benevity to vet charitable recipients, thereby discriminating against mainstream advocacy organizations through the SPLC's overly broad "Hate List."

The biggest 1000 U.S. companies by revenue according to form 10-K.

Rating Overview

Risk Rating: Medium

Occidental Petroleum is Medium Risk.

Occidental Petroleum is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company elevates merit, excellence, and integrity ahead of race and identity-based policies. Occidental Petroleum occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria Risk Level
Cancellations Lower Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy High Risk
Employment Protection Medium Risk

Corporate Weaponization

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria Risk Level
Advocacy Bias Medium Risk
Funding Medium Risk
Political Actions Lower Risk

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization


Criteria:

Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Occidental Petroleum has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (1).

Criteria:

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Occidental Petroleum’s charitable giving focuses on these main areas: “public health and safety, education, social services such as food security, military and veterans, environment, and arts and culture” (1). The company’s employee match program matches donations to educational and cultural organizations. Religious organizations are ineligible (2). Occidental Petroleum likely uses Benevity as its charitable giving platform. Benevity vets charities according to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Hate List, which includes mainstream libertarian, conservative, family, and religious advocacy organizations (3)(4)(5).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Occidental Petroleum does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (1).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy


Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Occidental Petroleum’s CEO released a statement on racial justice and diversity emphasizing “gender, gender identification, and sexual orientation” (1). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using its reputation to advance ideological causes or policies (2).

Criteria:

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Occidental Petroleum is a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) (1). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (2).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Occidental Petroleum has not used its PAC donations or lobbying for ideological purposes (1)(2)(3).