Business Coalition for Climate Action Doubles
May 8, 2007Business Coalition for Climate Action Doubles
General Motors joins USCAP's call for aggressive pollution cuts
The unprecedented coalition calling for a cap and trade system to combat climate change, the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), has more than doubled its membership.
In a move that transforms the political landscape, General Motors is the first automobile manufacturer to join the coalition of high-level corporate and environmental leaders. The group's mission is to urge the federal government to:
- cut greenhouse gas emissions 60-80 percent,
- create business incentives and,
- act swiftly and thoughtfully.
USCAP member companies represent industries critical to slowing climate change, including car manufacturing, utilities, chemical production and manufacturing. Twelve new companies join the original members, bringing the number of corporate partners to 22.
Unprecedented corporate action to find green solution
Never before have industry leaders lined up so solidly with environmental advocates to solve an environmental problem.
The USCAP companies join the four original nonprofit partners - Environmental Defense, the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, Natural Resources Defense Council and the World Resources Institute - along with two new groups, The Nature Conservancy and National Wildlife Federation, to call for effective climate policy.
As Congress starts to seriously look at the issue of climate change, the group's expansion is a powerful catalyst for action. "With this lineup of companies and environmental groups endorsing it, a carbon cap is clearly the consensus solution to climate change,” said Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense. "With cap and trade, we’ve found the center - environmental groups and businesses can embrace because it guarantees results for the climate while freeing companies to hunt for innovative, least-cost ways to lower emissions," Krupp said.
Already this year, Congress has held a number of hearings on the problem of climate change. In February, Senator John Warner (R-VA), who sits on the Environment and Public Works Committee, noted USCAP's role in helping bring the issue of climate change into the "big leagues." "When I see such an extraordinary cross-section of America's free-enterprise system, together with the environmental groups, come and form a group like this, you've got my attention," said Warner.
GM's support of USCAP climate action is strong signal
Cars and light trucks are a significant contributor to global warming pollution. GM's joining up with USCAP shows it has the potential to also be a big contributor to solutions.
"The addition of these new companies adds horsepower to the push for Congress to act quickly on a real solution to climate change," said Krupp.
Krupp stresses the importance of involving business not only to increase pressure on Congress, but ensure that any plan for fixing climate change was also a boost for the U.S. economy. "We chose a cap-and-trade approach because it guarantees the emissions cuts we need, while it unleashes cash and creativity from the private sector. This plan is a jobs winner as well as an environmental winner."
USCAP partners support six recommendations for national action:
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Account for the global dimensions of climate change – U.S. leadership is essential for establishing an equitable and effective international policy framework for robust action on climate;
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Recognize the importance of technology – The cost-effective deployment of existing energy efficient technologies should be a priority;
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Be environmentally effective – mandatory requirements and incentives must be stringent enough to achieve necessary emissions reductions;
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Create economic opportunity and advantage – a climate protection program must use the power of the market to establish clear targets and timeframes;
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Be fair – Solutions must account for the disproportionate impact of both global warming and emissions reductions on some economic sectors, geographic regions and income groups; and
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Encourage early action – Prior to the effective date of mandatory pollution limits, every reasonable effort should be made to reduce emissions.
Looking back at USCAP's launch
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Forbes.com: Interview with Environmental Defense president Fred Krupp - World Economic Forum: The Greener Side of Business (January 25, 2007)
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News release: Leading Companies Call for Bold Action on Global Warming (January 22, 2007)
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NPR's All Things Considered: "Business Groups Criticize Bush's Energy Ideas" (January 22, 2007)
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NPR's Weekend Edition: "Creating a Market for Emissions Trading" (January 21, 2007)
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The New York Times: "A Coalition for Firm Limit on Emissions" (January 19, 2007; registration required)
http://www.environmentaldefense.org/article.cfm?contentID=5828
