Joint Opinion Piece · December 19, 2023
In the wake of COP28’s agreement calling for a “transition” away from fossil fuels, companies must now make a clear choice between the pro-carbon agenda on prominent display at the meeting and a real climate-forward agenda. With the climate crisis threatening our lives and their business outlook, it’s time for Big Tech firms and other “climate-forward” companies to lead where COP still fell short: pushing for the explicit phase-out of carbon dioxide emissions critical to continued health and prosperity for our children, our grandchildren, and indeed everyone around the world.
COP’s words alone will not be enough: the rapid expansion of fossil fuels threatens to allow the critical 1.5 degree Celsius climate target to drift out of reach. To tackle the issue that was finally addressed in the final hours at COP – the fossil fuel dependence that threatens the health of our planet – we need real corporate climate leadership with muscle. When climate-forward companies step up more effectively in the policy arena – as Apple, Google, Salesforce, and Microsoft recently did in the fight for a strong climate disclosure law in California – it can make all the difference for policy progress. The climate policy agenda for next year is packed with actions that are essential to build on the impressive clean energy momentum of last year’s Inflation Reduction Act. We need companies – CEOs, sustainability executives, employees, lobbyists – to show up and join the fight.
There’s a recipe for authentic corporate climate leadership – as exemplified by former CEO Paul Polman of Unilever, who says “you act in service of your people, your suppliers, your customers, future generations and the planet itself.” The first step, which he took at Unilever, is being more selective about the company you keep – and ending relationships with trade associations that are misaligned with climate goals, like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Spotlighting this issue, thousands of employees have recently signed a national petition urging climate-forward companies to “Escape the Chamber” and exert their leadership on climate policy. According to Paul Polman, “the more that companies who get trade associations to do their dirty work for them can be called out, by journalists, activists, and others, the better.” We need many more Paul Polmans to achieve real climate progress.
True corporate climate leadership is proactive, not just reactive. It means taking risks (like calling explicitly for the “phase out” of fossil fuels) and making climate a significant lobbying priority. Policy impact requires showing up on Capitol Hill and in state capitals and city halls across America year in and year out, consistently and forcefully lobbying for bold climate legislation – and the nuts and bolts of implementation. It means getting into the policy weeds, not just publishing or posting vague statements of support and then walking away. The Inflation Reduction Act has already faced multiple repeal threats – it needs more staunch champions in the corporate sector. That has to also include public statements about the importance of and benefits of climate policy – to the companies, for jobs, and for a livable environment for all.
Since policy and politics are so closely intertwined in our political system, corporate climate leadership also means aligning political contributions with climate leadership and action. As we head into another consequential election that could determine the fate of our planet, too many pro-climate companies are undermining their climate pledges with their political donations. Money matters – and corporate campaign dollars are ending up in the wrong pockets.
In advocating a climate-forward agenda, companies are even more powerful when they team up on public policy. Leading or joining climate action-supporting coalitions like Ceres or America Is All In to advocate strongly for climate policy progress can help these companies drown out the prevailing corporate noise that favors an unacceptable status quo.
In the wake of COP28, it’s time for companies to refocus their energies and raise a new, united, effective voice for climate policy. 2024 can become the “turning point” year when we finally bend that curve in carbon emissions down – and we can now hope that the progress marked at COP28 reflects companies’ true climate commitment.
Michael Mann is Director of the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media, and author of Our Fragile Moment. Bill Weihl is a former corporate sustainability executive and founder of ClimateVoice.