American Companies Form Advocacy Group for Clean Energy

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has taken a strong stance against President Obama’s environmental bill and, as a result, alienated a number of their member companies.

Now more than a dozen leading U.S. corporations — including Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), DB Climate Change Advisors (Deutsche Bank Group), Gap Inc., and National Grid — have launched a new initiative to support Congressional action on clean energy and climate change legislation. The goal of the new group, American Businesses for Clean Energy (ABCE), is to offer a platform for leading U.S. businesses to express their support for meaningful and effective legislation that will drive clean technology innovation, create jobs, and address the threat of global climate change.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has taken a strong stance against climate change legislation and has threatened to sue the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about specific provisions of the Clean Air Act. Exelon, a prominent utility, has said they will not renew their Chamber of Commerce membership while Johnson & Johnson, Nike, and Pacific Gas & Electric have released statements refuting the Chamber’s position.

"There are a growing number of business leaders clamoring for comprehensive climate legislation," said Ralph Izzo, chairman, president and chief operating officer of PSEG. "We're unified by the need for a price on carbon and policies that clearly support renewable energy. With the right public policies in place we'll have the certainty we need to make investments that will power the new green economy."

ABCE is intended to be a broad umbrella organization demonstrating the breadth of business support for clean energy and climate legislation. The ABCE initiative is open to any company or business association that supports Congressional action to pass effective climate and energy legislation. By joining the initiative, these companies are making a public statement urging Congress to act. The organization released a statement declaring: “We are businesses from a broad cross-section of American industry that support Congressional action to enact clean energy and climate legislation that will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Now is the time to act.”

“Gap Inc. is taking action on climate change now -- in fact, we have reduced our energy consumption by 20% over the past five years," said Kindley Walsh Lawlor, senior director, global responsibility, Gap Inc. "While we have more work to do to lessen our impact, we also believe collaboration is key to making positive, sustainable change. That's why we're pleased to be standing among forward-thinking businesses that support climate and energy policy in the U.S.”

Auden Schendler, executive director, community and environmental responsibility, Aspen Skiing Company, said: “The time for action on climate change should now be obvious to any business that is focused on the future. What I like about the ABCE initiative is that it creates an easy way for businesses of all kinds to simply sign on and state their support for clean energy and climate legislation. My sense is that there are a lot of companies out there of all sizes that do support climate legislation. They have been waiting for a simple way to help them show their support.”

ABCE charter members include Aspen Skiing Company, Avista, Calpine Corporation, Conservation Services Group, DB Climate Change Advisors (Deutsche Bank Group), FPL Group, Gap Inc., National Grid, New York Power Authority, PNM Resources, and Public Service Enterprise Group.

Image courtesy of Flickr