Publicly owned companies, like many U.S. refineries, have a fiduciary responsibility (which is a legal obligation) to act in the best interest of their shareholders, and that extends to how companies spend their earnings. Often, earnings are spent on a combination of the following: direct dividends, stock buy back programs, paying down debt and capital investment projects.
AFPM President and CEO Chet Thompson issued the following statement in response to President Biden’s State of the Union address: "Using the State of the Union to politicize market fundamentals and single out stock “buy back” programs—while overlooking the fact that the Biden administration’s own policies discourage the reinvestment of earnings back into the U.S. liquid fuel supply chain—cheapens the dialog for everyone."
Moving the needle on plastic waste is no small feat, but petrochemical manufacturers are revolutionizing what’s possible. Advanced recycling technologies utilize advanced processes that break plastic waste all the way down to its original chemical components - expanding the types of plastics that can be recycled, and creating a higher-quality feedstock.
AFPM President and CEO Chet Thompson issued the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) proposal of light- and heavy-duty vehicle GHG emission standards: "EPA's proposal to effectively ban gasoline and diesel vehicles is bad for consumers, the environment, our freedom of mobility and U.S. national security. It’s unconscionable that the Administration would propose this knowing full well that China controls 80% of global battery production capacity..."