As US Moves to Withdraw from Paris Agreement, Business Leaders Call Out Risks

(Photo Credit: Tim Mossholder, Unsplash)

by | Nov 7, 2019

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As US Moves to Withdraw from Paris Agreement, Business Leaders Call Out Risks

(Photo Credit: Tim Mossholder, Unsplash)

When the Trump Administration notified the United Nations this week that it plans to officially withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, numerous American business leaders responded that they are still committed to the goals — and spoke out about the risks of withdrawal.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo released a statement on Monday saying that the formal process of withdrawing had begun. “Ours is a realistic and pragmatic model,” he posted on Twitter.

The move was not unexpected since President Trump’s announcement in June 2017 that he intended to pull the United States out of the historic 2015 global agreement. At the time, the CEOs of Disney, Tesla, Apple, and several other companies quit Trump’s business advisory council in response. Efforts like America’s Pledge, the US Climate Alliance, the Climate Mayors, and We Are Still In emerged to reaffirm American climate commitments.

We Are Still In signatories, which include national, state, and local business leaders, declare that they continue to support climate action to meet the Paris Agreement. Currently 2,209 businesses and investors are signatories, according to the initiative.

Walmart is one of them. In an op-ed for the New York Times on Wednesday, Walmart executive vice president Kathleen McLaughlin and World Resources Institute president Andrew Steer wrote, “The Paris Agreement provides the context for national and global policies in areas like agriculture and energy, which have direct implications for businesses with customers and suppliers around the world.” They cited a 2018 report showing that acting to protect the climate could generate more than $26 trillion in benefits through 2030.

“Without a rapid reduction in global emissions, backed by strong government policies and business strategies, more people will be in harm’s way,” McLaughlin and Steer wrote. “Increasingly people recognize these risks and expect companies to be part of the solution.”

Salesforce, Clif Bar, Mars, Incorporated, and Microsoft also responded publicly to the news this week. “Rather than withdrawing from the Paris Accord, the US should be doubling down to fight climate change,” Microsoft’s chief environmental officer Lucas Joppa said. “The best available science indicates risks have become larger and more urgent.”

Members of the Outdoor Industry Association, including Columbia Sportswear, the North Face, Patagonia, and REI, also criticized the withdrawal. “There is no confusion: Climate denial and inaction are putting our health, prosperity, and communities at risk,” said Rose Marcario, the president and CEO of Patagonia.

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