More than 365 businesses and investors, from Fortune 500 firms and small, family-owned businesses across more than 35 states, have sent a strong message to President Barack Obama, President-elect Donald Trump and other elected US and global leaders, reaffirming their support for the historic Paris Climate Agreement and the need to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy at home and around the world.
‘Implementing the Paris Climate Agreement will enable and encourage businesses and investors to turn the billions of dollars in existing low-carbon investments into the trillions of dollars the world needs to bring clean energy prosperity to all’, wrote the powerful business group, in a statement of support announced today at a press conference at the COP22 climate negotiations in Marrakech, Morocco. ‘Failure to build a low-carbon economy puts American prosperity at risk.’
Among the diverse and iconic large and small US businesses signing the statement are DuPont, Gap Inc., General Mills, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Hilton, HP Inc., Kellogg Company, Levi Strauss & Co., L’Oreal USA, NIKE, Mars Incorporated, Schneider Electric, Starbucks, VF Corporation and Unilever.
‘Building an energy-efficient economy in the US, powered by low-carbon energy, will ensure our nation’s competitiveness and position US companies as leaders in the global market – all while doing the right thing for our planet.’
MICHAEL KOORI
Vice president of sustainability at Levi Strauss & Co.
The US, China, India, Brazil, the European Union and more than 100 other nations representing more than three-quarters of global emissions, formally ratified or joined the agreement, and it entered into legal force on 04 November. The agreement is the first-ever global, legally binding framework to tackle climate change.
‘It is vital that the business community demonstrates its ongoing commitment to tackling climate change. This is an important moment in global political and economic history, and we absolutely must come together to solve the immense challenges facing the planet. Climate change, water scarcity and deforestation are serious threats to society. It is imperative that global businesses, like Mars, do their part to face down those threats.’
BARRY PARKIN
Chief sustainability and health and wellbeing officer at Mars Incorporated
In the statement, the large and small businesses pledged to do their part, in their own operations and beyond, to realise the Paris Climate Agreement’s commitment of a global economy that limits global temperature rise to well below two degrees Celsius.
They are calling on elected US leaders to support:
Click here to read the full statement and list of signatories.
Sorry we don't have any suggested related content at the moment. Please check back later.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Weekly ethical news, offers, comps and a free digital mag (quarterly) – what’s not to love?
