Let the Low-Carbon Revolution Begin
- Date: 01 December 2015
- Author: Suzanne Apple
Today, more than 100 leading businesses joined WWF and several NGOs in publicly calling for strong action to tackle climate change. In a full page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal, these businesses urged US leadership in international negotiations on climate change and called for a low-carbon revolution.
Representing more than $2.8 trillion in total market capitalization, the company signatories include The Coca-Cola Company, DuPont, Microsoft, Volvo Group North America, Johnson & Johnson, General Mills, IKEA, HP Inc., Procter & Gamble, Nike, Inc., Hilton Worldwide, Adidas Group, and Unilever, among others. They have joined together to encourage the US government to:
• Seek a strong global climate deal in Paris;
• Support action to reduce US emissions, and;
• Establish a long-term framework for investment in the low-carbon economy.
Meaningful progress on climate change requires us all to do our part. The business community sees itself as part of the solution. At WWF, we understand that business can drive positive change. Our work with the private sector is core to a strategy of delivering solutions at a scale equal to the problems we face. These corporate signatories are a broad cross-section of the US economic engine, in such diverse sectors as high-tech, energy, lifestyle, manufacturing, and food and beverage. What they have in common is that they see climate change as a serious risk to their businesses and the US economy.
That’s why they are calling on the US government to lead. The lack of a global agreement and a patchwork regulatory landscape have been impediments to meaningful low carbon investments. US leadership in Paris is necessary to unleash the innovation and potential of the market to address climate risk.
With a strong and certain regulatory environment, businesses would have the stability they need to scale up their low-carbon investments over the long term. They would be able to invest with confidence in their own climate strategy. Most importantly, a certain regulatory environment would empower the business community to be a powerful partner in the fight against climate change.
Business is ready to lead with us on climate change, and create a paradigm-shift for the US economy. A low-carbon revolution would be great for business, and for the planet. We urge the Obama administration to take decisive action to combat climate change and build a low-carbon economy.
The time for a low-carbon revolution is now. And it all starts with Paris.