Council Announces Leading Companies, Christiana Figueres & Ernest Moniz as New Founding Members
15 Fortune 100 Companies + NGOs Preview Plan With Members of Congress From Both Parties
WASHINGTON, DC – The Climate Leadership Council – a broad coalition of leading companies, environmental NGOs and thought leaders from across the political spectrum – released its Bipartisan Climate Roadmap today. The Roadmap is the result of over two years of dialogue among the Founding Members of the Climate Leadership Council. The Council also announced today that JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and two prominent policy leaders – Christiana Figueres and Ernest Moniz – have joined this effort as Founding Members of the Council. They join a remarkably broad coalition, including 26 corporate sector leaders from a wide range of industries.
“The framework announced today by the Climate Leadership Council is a win-win as it empowers consumers to do their part to conserve energy and incentivizes businesses to innovate and adopt cleaner energy sources.” – David S. Taylor, Chairman, President and CEO, Procter & Gamble
On February 11 and 12, senior executives from 15 Fortune/Global 100 companies, Janet Yellen, Christine Todd Whitman and the CEOs of two leading environmental NGOs – all Council Founding Members – briefed the Senate Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus and other Members in both chambers on the plan. The Senate caucus is co-chaired by Senators Mike Braun (R-IN) and Chris Coons (D-DE). These briefings were off the record and informational in nature.
“The world’s carbon budget is finite and running out fast. We need a rapid transition to net zero and a real price on carbon can help by incentivizing all of us, including BP, to make lower carbon choices. We are committed to actively advocating for well-designed climate policies, including carbon pricing, and are grateful for CLC’s efforts to try to make them a reality in the US.” – Bernard Looney, Chief Executive Officer, BP
“Today’s release of the Bipartisan Climate Roadmap is the latest example of growing business leadership on climate policy and of ever louder calls from many corporate sector leaders for an economy-wide price on carbon.” – Ted Halstead, Chairman and CEO of the Climate Leadership Council.
A new poll released today by Morning Consult finds that voters across the spectrum strongly favor a bipartisan approach to solving climate change (6:1 margin overall, including 58% of Republican voters) and are growing more concerned about the issue (8:1 margin). The poll finds strong support across the board for carbon dividends (4:1 overall | 2:1 Republicans | 3:1 Republicans under 40 | 4:1 Independents | 16:1 Democrats). It also reveals robust support across all demographics for each of the four pillars of the Council’s plan.
“Ford was founded on the belief that doing right by our customers and our business was the same as doing right by our planet. Making great American-built vehicles, protecting the environment and maintaining a strong business are woven into the fabric of Ford’s identity. The Climate Leadership Council supports our longstanding priorities by proposing a bipartisan, market-wide approach combating climate change.” – Jim Hackett, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ford Motor Company
The Bipartisan Climate Roadmap is based on the four-part Baker Shultz Carbon Dividends Plan first introduced in 2017 when the Council was founded. But the Roadmap released today adds important new policy specifics under each pillar. It is intended to serve as a blueprint for legislative introduction of the plan on a bipartisan basis in both chambers.
“It’s well past time for the U.S. Congress to stop dithering on climate action and get down to business. This Roadmap provides a solid foundation for Members of Congress looking to develop ambitious, bipartisan climate legislation and provides a win-win for America’s economy and climate.” – Andrew Steer, CEO WRI
If enacted, the Bipartisan Climate Roadmap would: a) cut U.S. CO2 emissions in half by 2035; b) provide families of four $2,000 a year; c) reduce unnecessary regulations; d) pay for itself; e) drive growth and innovation; and f) compel other countries to follow. The carbon dividends framework is also supported by America’s leading economists. The Economists’ Statement on Carbon Dividends, released in 2019, was co-authored by 4 former Chairs of the Federal Reverse, 27 Nobel laureate economists, and 15 former chairs of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors (8 Republicans, and 7 Democrats). The statement was also signed by 3,500 U.S. economists.
“In economic policy, there is nothing more sound than a program that corrects market failures, reduces regulation, is revenue-neutral and incentivizes all Americans to make better consumer choices. Our carbon dividends plan achieves all four.” – N. Gregory Mankiw, Former Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers
“Calpine’s core principles include support for competition and environmental stewardship. Placing an economy-wide price on carbon will spur competitive markets to produce the most cost effective and environmentally responsible solutions. The Bipartisan Climate Roadmap released today aligns with Calpine’s core principles and we are proud to endorse the plan.” – Thad Hill, Calpine President and CEO
“The Bipartisan Climate Roadmap creates the right economic incentives and lets the market work to provide the most realistic path toward cutting U.S. emissions in half by 2035. It’s a win for the environment, for business and for our communities.” – Ginni Rometty, Chair & CEO, IBM
“At Total, we actively advocate for carbon pricing, an essential tool to support the energy transition. But carbon must be priced fairly since consumers may lack the means to change their behavior and view a carbon price as unfair. For this reason, we support the proposal of the Climate Leadership Council to establish a carbon dividend, which creates an incentive for consumers while redistributing resources to those with the lowest incomes.” – Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of Total
“General Motors believes in an all electric, zero emissions future. We believe that climate change is real and that lowering emissions is both a social imperative and an economic opportunity. The Bipartisan Climate Roadmap shows how businesses, NGOs and thought leaders can work together to advance real solutions.” – Everett Eissenstat, Senior Vice President, Global Public Policy, General Motors
Finally, there is growing support for carbon dividends on campuses across the country, as evidenced by Young Conservatives for Carbon Dividends (YCCD).
Key Links:
- Bipartisan Climate Roadmap
- New Morning Consulting Polling
- Founding Members of the Climate Leadership Council
- Founding Member Statistics / Sector Leaders
The Climate Leadership Council represents a diverse coalition of businesses, environmental and opinion leaders whose purpose is to advance the four-part carbon dividends framework as the most cost-effective, equitable and politically-viable climate solution.
