Leading U.S. Companies Urge Congress to Act Now on Federal Clean Energy and
Climate Change Legislation
New coalition of business partners launch initiative to ensure their voices
are heard
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than a dozen leading U.S.
corporations -- including Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), DB Climate
Change Advisors (Deutsche Bank Group), Gap Inc., and National Grid --
announced the launch of a new initiative to support Congressional action on
clean energy and climate change legislation. The goal of the new group, called
American Businesses for Clean Energy (ABCE), is to offer a platform for
leading U.S. businesses to express their support for meaningful and effective
legislation that will drive clean technology innovation, create jobs, and
address the threat of global climate change.
ABCE's message is bold and clear: "We are businesses from a broad
cross-section of American industry that support Congressional action to enact
clean energy and climate legislation that will significantly reduce greenhouse
gas emissions. Now is the time to act."
Some of the first signatories to the ABCE pledge of support include Aspen
Skiing Company, Avista, Calpine Corporation, Conservation Services Group, DB
Climate Change Advisors (Deutsche Bank Group), FPL Group, Gap Inc., National
Grid, New York Power Authority, PNM Resources, and Public Service Enterprise
Group. To see a full list of companies go to:
http://www.AmericanBusinessesforCleanEnergy.org.
The following are statements from senior executives of the leading
corporations who have joined this effort:
"There are a growing number of business leaders clamoring for comprehensive
climate legislation," said Ralph Izzo, chairman, president and chief operating
officer of PSEG. "We're unified by the need for a price on carbon and policies
that clearly support renewable energy. With the right public policies in place
we'll have the certainty we need to make investments that will power the new
green economy."
"The House has done its part by passing comprehensive energy and climate
legislation," said Stephen Cowell, chairman and CEO of Conservation Services
Group, which helped launch ABCE. "We urge the Senate and the President to do
the same."
"Many within the business community are urging Congress to adopt meaningful
energy and climate legislation, so we can move forward with investments in
technologies and infrastructure that will be needed to meet future energy
demand, grow our economy, and protect our environment," said Tom King,
president of National Grid U.S. "ABCE provides a public forum for companies
to register their support for this critical objective."
"Gap Inc. is taking action on climate change now -- in fact, we have reduced
our energy consumption by 20% over the past five years," said Kindley Walsh
Lawlor, senior director, global responsibility, Gap Inc. "While we have more
work to do to lessen our impact, we also believe collaboration is key to
making positive, sustainable change. That's why we're pleased to be standing
among forward-thinking businesses that support climate and energy policy in
the U.S."
Auden Schendler, executive director, community and environmental
responsibility, Aspen Skiing Company, said: "The time for action on climate
change should now be obvious to any business that is focused on the future.
What I like about the ABCE initiative is that it creates an easy way for
businesses of all kinds to simply sign on and state their support for clean
energy and climate legislation. My sense is that there are a lot of companies
out there of all sizes that do support climate legislation. They have been
waiting for a simple way to help them show their support."
ABOUT AMERICAN BUSINESSES FOR CLEAN ENERGY
ABCE is intended as a broad umbrella organization to show the breadth of
business support for clean energy and climate legislation. ABCE will not
develop detailed policy recommendations or evaluate specific proposals since
existing business coalitions already address those needs. The ABCE initiative
is open to any company or business association that supports Congressional
action to pass effective climate and energy legislation now. By joining the
initiative, these companies are making a public statement urging Congress to
act.
To learn more about American Businesses for Clean Energy (ABCE) and to pledge
support for clean energy legislation, please visit:
http://www.AmericanBusinessesforCleanEnergy.org.
SOURCE American Businesses for Clean Energy (ABCE), Washington, D.C.
Patrick Mitchell, +1-703-276-3266, pmitchell@hastingsgroup.com, for American
Businesses for Clean Energy (ABCE), Washington, D.C.
