Top Business Leaders Call for Climate Action Now

At yesterday’s Earth Day news conference, a reporter asked, “If clean energy & climate legislation is so popular, why hasn’t it passed yet?”

The short answer: Despite broad public support, a few polluters still carry a lot of sway in Congress. The number of true opponents of climate action, even in the business community, has dwindled to a last few hardcore holdouts.

Don’t believe me? Check out this letter from We Can Lead, signed by more than 80 CEOs, from companies ranging from airline Virgin America to electric utility Exelon. Those companies are calling for Congress to pass & President Obama to sign comprehensive clean energy & climate legislation now:

Saying that the U.S. is “falling behind” in the global clean energy race, the letter calls for forceful leadership to achieve legislation that will unleash innovation, drive economic growth, boost energy independence and decrease our carbon emissions. The letter comes just one week before President Obama delivers his State of the Union address on January 27th.

“American businesses recognize this challenge and have already begun to respond and innovate. However, today’s uncertainty surrounding energy and climate regulation is hindering the large-scale actions that American businesses are poised to make,” the letter states. “We need strong policies and clear market signals that support the transition to a low-carbon economy and reward companies that innovate. It is time for the Administration and Congress to embrace this policy as the promising economic opportunity that will empower American workers to compete and American entrepreneurship to lead the way.”

The letter was signed by 83 CEOs from some of the nation’s largest electric power, manufacturing, clean tech, technology and consumer facing companies.

To see the list of signers, view the full letter (PDF).