Washington DC based non-profit Business Roundtable has released a set of principles and policies to address climate change, including carbon pricing where feasible and effective.
The organisation, which includes CEOs from US businesses that include Apple, Duke Energy, Walmart and Marriott International, published the strategy to incentivise the “development and deployment of breakthrough technologies” needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Business Roundtable CEOs are calling on businesses and governments around the world to work together to limit global temperature rise this century to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
In response to the organisation’s new policies the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) released this statement supporting the move.
AWEA CEO Tom Kiernan said: “We applaud the Business Roundtable and its corporate leadership for embracing the need for a comprehensive and market-based approach to address climate change.
“With over 80% of America’s voters saying a company’s commitment to combatting climate change is important when they consider where to spend their dollars and which brands to give their loyalty to, it’s encouraging to see these titans of industry take a collective position to address this issue. “
Walmart president and CEO Doug McMillon (pictured), who is also Business Roundtable chairman, said: “Representing more than 200 CEOs from America’s leading companies, the new Business Roundtable position on climate change reflects our belief that a national market-based emissions reduction policy is critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to levels designed to avoid the worst effects and mitigate the impacts of climate change.”
Kiernan added: “More and more Fortune 500 companies, including members of the Roundtable, are choosing wind energy as a preferred solution to power their operations, reduce costs to customers, and help meet their business and sustainability targets.
“It’s proven to be not only good for the environment, but good for business and their bottom lines.”