Wide-Ranging Businesses Support President Obama’s Climate Plan
Boston, MA // June 25, 2013: A broad range of businesses and investors from across the country are offering strong support today for President Obama’s climate plan. The businesses are all signatories of the Climate Declaration, a statement calling on U.S. policymakers to capture the American economic opportunities of addressing climate change. The campaign, endorsed by major companies such as General Motors, Intel and Unilever, was launched this spring by the business network BICEP (Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy), which is coordinated by Ceres.
“American business leaders have been clamoring for action on climate change through initiatives like the Climate Declaration, and we are pleased to see President Obama heed their call. The President’s climate change plan provides much-needed policies and guidelines that will strengthen our economy for the long term. Less pollution from power plants, stronger more-resilient towns and cities – these are standards that any business will welcome, and they set the nation on the right course for economic growth.” – Anne Kelly, director of BICEP, a project at Ceres
“People often ask whether we can afford to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt society to climate change. But I think the real question is can we afford not to? Nobody can tackle climate change successfully on their own. We need to have a partnership, which includes governments at all levels working hand in hand with the private sector. This is why we applaud this announcement by The President. This year is Swiss Re’s 150th year in the risk management industry and we view the threat posed by climate change as a very real one. As a society we need to act now and not stick our heads in the sand.” – Mark Way, Head Sustainability Americas, Swiss Re, a global reinsurance company
“As Pennsylvania Treasurer, I am concerned about both the risks the Commonwealth faces to its financial investments and the potential for direct losses to our economy from ever more extreme weather events. Superstorm Sandy showed the devastating impact of severe weather, causing at least $50 billion in losses to homeowners, businesses and insurers across a number of states. I applaud the President’s newly announced program to mitigate the harmful effects of climate change while expanding new opportunities for workers and investors in the clean energy economy.” –Pennsylvania Treasurer Rob McCord
“Climate change has implications for the production of agricultural ingredients from corn to cocoa, and addressing it requires changes to the way we source materials and manufacture our products. Therefore, it is imperative we continue to improve sustainability in our approach to business, as well as the way we create policy.” – Brad Figel, Vice President of Public Affairs, Mars North America, McLean, VA, the United States’ third largest private company
“The President’s plan to address climate change makes total sense. It is clear that the Administration has done the math. Inaction clearly costs more than taking the practical steps to address climate change, while also putting in place a plan to tackle the inevitable impacts we can no longer reverse. We at Eastern Bank will do everything we can to support the President’s plan.” – Robert F. Rivers, President, Eastern Bank, Boston, MA
“President Obama’s plan is what we’ve been waiting for. It will help our business and the rest of the Colorado ski industry thrive long into the future, and we’re ready to start implementing it today.” –Auden Schendler, Vice President of Sustainability, Aspen Skiing Company, Aspen, CO
“There can be no progress on climate change without strong and aggressive leadership from the White House. While we have been frustrated that it took until now, we find that the President’s plan contains plenty of smart proposals and pathways for action. Stonyfield stands firmly behind the President’s vision.“ – Gary Hirshberg, Chairman, Stonyfield Farm, Londonderry, NH
“We applaud President Obama’s remarks on climate. The outdoor recreation industry and the U.S. economy depend on climate stability. Americans spend $646 billion annually on outdoor recreation, supporting 6.1 million jobs. This requires safe, reliable access to outdoor recreation opportunities, which are threatened by climate change and volatile weather patterns. We are encouraged that the Obama administration has outlined important steps to addressing climate issues and hope this spurs a robust national discussion.” – Kirk Bailey, Vice President, Government Affairs, Outdoor Industry Association, Boulder CO
“Being one of the leaders in environmental stewardship among professional sports franchises, the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers take great pride in applauding the President’s remarks. As a recent signatory of the Climate Declaration, we believe addressing climate change is not only essential for the health of our planet and children, but will result in a healthy economy. As a member of BICEP and one of the co-founders of the Green Sports Alliance, the Trail Blazers are pleased with the President’s acknowledgement and commitment to clean air, increased energy efficiencies, mitigation of carbon emissions, investments in renewables and moving this country towards a healthy future” – Justin Zeulner, Senior Director, Sustainability and Public Affairs, Portland Trail Blazers
“Climate change is the defining investment issue of our generation. The implementation of policies that limit carbon pollution, which were announced today by President Obama, should help unleash investment in clean energy and low-carbon technologies, which is an important step toward a truly sustainable economy.” – Matthew W. Patsky, CEO of Trillium Asset Management, Boston, MA
“Climate change presents material risks to many American companies, and the costs of inaction on climate change are clearly greater that the costs of taking practical steps to address it. Corporations and investors should welcome the President’s plan to address this urgent and important environmental and economic issue.” – Bennett Freeman, Senior Vice President, Calvert Investments, Bethesda, MD
“As a recent signatory to the Climate Declaration, Symantec recognizes the great economic opportunity inherent in addressing climate change. We support the President’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, expand renewable energy sources, and engage in meaningful dialogue on an international level. While difficult, leadership in this space is necessary, and by taking a stand at this critical moment, the U.S. is poised to drive these discussions to a favorable global outcome.” – Steve Bennett, President and Chief Executive Officer, Symantec Corporation, Mountain View, CA, a technology security company
“As a proud signatory of the Climate Declaration CA Technologies is prepared to stand with the President and his common sense approach to tackling climate change. CA Technologies has done its part and will continue to reduce our carbon footprint and to help our clients with IT enabled energy efficiency. The economic opportunities embedded in addressing climate change abound and the President’s decision to highlight them as a way to strengthen our economy and protect our future is a key to making real progress. Standing up and supporting the White House through a clean energy transition is simply the right thing to do.” – Cynthia Curtis, Chief Sustainability Officer, CA Technologies, Islandia, New York
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About Ceres
Ceres is an advocate for sustainability leadership. Ceres mobilizes a powerful coalition of investors, companies and public interest groups to accelerate and expand the adoption of sustainable business practices and solutions to build a healthy global economy. Ceres also directs the Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), a network of 100 institutional investors with collective assets totaling more than $11 trillion. For more information, visit http://www.ceres.org
About BICEP
BICEP (Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy) is an advocacy coalition of businesses committed to working with policy makers to pass meaningful energy and climate legislation enabling a rapid transition to a low-carbon, 21st century economy – an economy that will create new jobs and stimulate economic growth while stabilizing our planet’s fragile climate. BICEP is a project of Ceres. For more information, visit www.ceres.org/bicep.
For more information, contact:
Brian Bowen — Ceres | bowen@ceres.org | phone: 617-247-0700 x 148 | cell: 617-257-6626
Peyton Fleming — Ceres | fleming@ceres.org | phone: 617-247-0700 x 120 | cell: 617-733-6660
This release was originally published by Ceres, which is solely responsible for its content.
