By Valerie Volcovici
WASHINGTON, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Major U.S. companies, fromWal-Mart and Google Inc. to Shell andExxonMobil, are including future charges for carbonemissions in their strategic plans, according to a reportreleased on Thursday.
The non-profit Climate Disclosure Project, which disclosesthe greenhouse gas emissions of the world's biggestcorporations, found that 29 major companies that operate or areheadquartered in the United States, factor in an "internalcarbon price" of up to $60 per ton of emissions in theirbusiness strategies.
Although the U.S. doesn't have federal rules that requirecompanies to pay for heat-trapping carbon pollution, many firmsexpect such curbs in the future and have made allowances intheir budget for "shadow" carbon prices. These range from $6 to$60 per ton of emissions to model a carbon-constrained scenario,said the report by the UK-based CDP.
Indeed, many companies have made such provisions for years,even as others have lobbied successfully against proposedlegislation in 2009 and 2010 that would have established amarket price for emissions, known as a cap-and-trade system.
ExxonMobil has assumed one of the highest carbon priceprojections at $60 per tonne by 2030, the CDP report said.
Other oil majors BP and Royal Dutch Shell use a $40carbon price, while Devon Energy set a carbon price of$15 per tonne to "account for the cost or benefits associatedwith any change in greenhouse gas emissions resulting fromproposed projects."
Utility companies, which are preparing for direct regulationby the Environmental Protection Agency of the greenhouse gasemissions of their facilities by 2014, have also factored incarbon pollution charges.
The Minnesota-based utility Xcel Energy has used a$20 carbon price for years in its internal deliberations, whileAmeren Corp., based in Missouri, assumes a $30 per toncost by 2035.
Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, which has touted itsplan to curb carbon emissions in its supply chain, has aconfidential carbon price in place, CDP said, while softwaregiant Microsoft Corp. has said it incorporates a $6-$7a ton carbon price in its internal planning.
SOCIAL COST
The Obama administration has been using its own version ofan internal carbon price since 2010 to estimate the futureeconomic damage caused by carbon pollution, called the socialcost of carbon.
The measure is used by many arms of the U.S. government todetermine the financial benefits of new emissions regulationsput in place since 2010.
Earlier this year, the administration raised its 2020forecast to $43 a ton, up 58 percent from its 2010 estimate.
Experts said the move would make it easier for agencies likethe EPA to crack down on emissions by showing that the greaterbenefits of such measures would justify their cost.
The move to raise the social price of carbon pollution hastriggered a new bout of opposition by some energy companies andmajor business lobbying groups such as the U.S. Chamber ofCommerce. They have argued that the administration's calculationof its internal carbon price is opaque and should be open topublic comment.
In response, the White House Office for Management andBudget in November announced it would seek public comment forits cost estimate.
The UK-based CDP collects disclosure data on behalf of 722investor signatories. In 2013, about 1,000 US companiesdisclosed their emission rates through the CDP.