This is an extraordinary moment of opportunity for climate policy — with rising levels of public concern powering major new policy initiatives at the federal, state and local levels. On Earth Day (April 22), President Biden pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions nearly in half by 2030. We need strong leadership in the United States, and in every other country, to make progress at the speed and scale required to help keep warming below 1.5°C — the goal set by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It’s time for companies to use their influence and lobby for bold climate policies — everywhere they operate and at every level of government. 

The first step is for business leaders to shift their mindsets about climate from a position of narrow self-interest toward a strategic approach that views climate both as an existential business threat and an enormous opportunity to help build the future. Companies committed to fighting climate change need to take the following actions:

- Lobby for climate and engage the C-suite. 

- Pressure misaligned trade associations. 

- Align spending on civic engagement.

- Act as a guide for sector-specific industry groups. 

- Use corporate leverage and influence.