Direct Lobbying Transparency
| Overall Assessment | Comment | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Strong | Advanced Drainage Systems discloses substantial information about its climate-related lobbying. It identifies several concrete policy arenas it has acted on, including securing Texas Department of Transportation approval for thermoplastic pipe, backing "legislation to foster open competition for materials," and supporting laws that expand recycling programmes and federal infrastructure funding, giving readers a clear picture of the main policy levers it engages with, even though individual bills are not always named. The company is particularly explicit about how it lobbies and whom it targets. It details use of an internal, employee-run PAC—“The Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. PAC (ADS PAC) is a nonpartisan organization run and overseen by ADS employees”--and reports the amount contributed in the most recent fiscal year. ADS also describes “Visits with elected officials,” “Direct contact,” plant tours, and work through industry trade bodies, and it names the targets of these efforts, such as local regulators, government agencies and TxDOT. Finally, ADS is clear about the outcomes it seeks. It wants to require competitive bidding so that “Open competition would remedy this issue as well as promote quality and encourage technological development,” supports “legislation that encourages recycling – from educating consumers to improving the recycling material stream – as well as the use of recycled material in construction,” and advocates increased federal infrastructure spending because “Infrastructure spending results in higher economic output.” Together these disclosures demonstrate strong transparency around the company’s climate-related lobbying intentions, methods and desired policy changes. | 3 |