US business industry abandoning ship on climate

Over the last few weeks an intriguing trend has emerged among some of America’s largest corporations. Three large electric utility companies, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), the Public Service Company of New Mexico, and Exelon, have all withdrawn from the US Chamber of Commerce. Last week Oregon’s own Nike followed suit and resigned its position on the board of directors, but continues its membership. The latest departure is Apple, the first tech company to make its exit.

The reason for this exodus from the “world’s largest business federation”? The US Chamber’s opposition to federal climate legislation. 

These four companies are all members of the US Climate Action Partnership, a business-environment coalition focused on passing federal climate legislation. Of course, many forward-looking companies see the writing on the wall: climate change is occurring and it behooves all of us to set up the rules and systems for regulating carbon emissions and to be business ready for the carbon constrained economy. Companies that have jumped out ahead are better positioned competitively.

But some trade associations are spending millions to defeat the federal climate legislation and some of their members are saying enough is enough.

The battle lines have been drawn.  It is refreshing to see some major national companies draw the line in the sand, rather than bury their head in it. We are 10 years away from when the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change says that we need to reduce our emissions by at least 35% below 2005 levels.

We don’t have time to waste dragging this fight out any longer.  Kudos to those national companies for demonstrating leadership.