Seven major US companies including Danone North America have called on congressional leaders to pass a critical climate and clean energy package to ‘reduce energy costs (…), secure the US energy future, and boost the nation’s economic competitiveness’.
The signatories want lawmakers to approve incentives for climate-smart agriculture and forestry; develop programs to improve resilience and reduce extreme weather damage; and bolster American industrial capacity, among other recommendations.
The CEOs who signed the letter are: Shane Grant, Danone North America; Chris M. Crane, Exelon; Chip Bergh, Levi Strauss & Co.; Bracken Darrell, Logitech; Patricia K. Poppe, PG&E; Ralph Izzo, PSEG; and Steve Rendle, VF Corporation.
“As budget reconciliation negotiations continue in the Senate, we urge you to swiftly come to agreement on and pass an ambitious package of climate, clean energy, and environmental justice provisions that will increase the reliability and security of American energy while advancing America’s global clean energy leadership,” the executives wrote.
“A reconciliation package that includes these investments and reduces the deficit will help us combat inflation and bend down the cost curve for consumers’ bottom lines right away.”
The signatories hope that if a package is agreed upon in the Senate this summer, it would pass before the end of the current Congress in January 2023. Senate negotiations first began to take shape in April but have since faced several setbacks due to the Democrats' narrow majority.
The package must pass through Senate by 30 September, but with a summer recess planned for August, the lawmakers need to fine-tune the legislation in the coming weeks.
Anne Kelly, vice-president of government relations at Ceres, the sustainability advocacy NPO that organized the letter, commented: “Some of the top business leaders in the U.S. are today championing strong federal climate legislation, because they know it is critical to advancing our economic goals, unleashing innovation across our economy, lowering costs for companies and families, and preventing the climate risks that loom over our nation’s businesses and financial systems. For months, companies and investors have advocated for this legislation. Today, we are excited to see leading executives personally champion the ambitious investments we need – and what it will take to achieve them.”
