In the Business of Climate Policy
"Environmental protection and economic growth are inimical interests." That is a common refrain, but one that is simply untrue. The current debate over climate and energy policy is proving (hopefully once and for all) that we can be good stewards of our natural resources and spur economic recovery and long-term growth at the same time. That's why business leaders representing firms from Google to Duke Energy to Nike are calling for strong and progressive climate and energy policies, including a national cap on greenhouse gas emissions. Why would private, profit-driven firms support climate policies that would increase the price of fossil-fuel energy? Smart businesses know that a cap on carbon is good for the long-term health of our nation and our world (and the health of their consumers!), and ultimately good for their bottom line.
Sure, rebuilding our economy on clean energy will protect our environment so that present and future generations can live healthier, more productive lives. But smart energy policies also create millions of dollars of new investment and new, green jobs, allow American companies to resume their role as global leaders in energy and environmental innovation, and create the incentives and the certainty that businesses need to thrive in the global green economy. As the world moves toward a low-carbon future, entrepreneurs and innovators across our country are eager to lead the way, and smart climate and energy policies will allow them to do so.
That's why so many businesses - from small, family-owned firms to giant corporations like Starbucks and Ebay - are calling for strong environmental policy from Congress and the Administration. Members of the Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP) coalition celebrated the passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act out of the House Energy and Commerce committee last week, as did the members of the US Climate Action Partnership, a coalition of both environmental and business groups that helped write much of the language in the bill.
And this support is only growing with programs like the Environmental Defense Fund's Climate Corps, which trains and then places MBAs as energy efficiency experts at major corporations like Cisco and Hewlett Packard. Climate Corps participants understand how business works and understand the economic and environmental gains of energy efficiency, a major component of comprehensive climate and energy legislation.
The growing coalition among environmentalists, economists, labor groups, businesses, people of faith and many others points toward the possibility of passing strong climate and energy legislation, or at least taking big steps in this direction, before the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting in Copenhagen this December. Businesses want clean energy, efficiency, green jobs, and the drastic cuts in our carbon emissions that come with these choices. We are making tremendous progress toward rebuilding our economy on the "New Foundation" that President Obama has called for. But we - as people of faith, as voters, and as consumers - must keep the pressure on both our elected officials and the businesses that drive our nation to effectively tackle this truly global crisis.