It appears as if climate change legislation has found some unlikely allies in corporate America.
According to a new report by American Businesses for Clean Energy (ABCE), more than 6,000 businesses in the United States support clean energy legislation, such as the American Power Act.
And these aren’t just local mom and pop organizations; The ABCE says that these businesses together pulled in a staggering UA$3.5 trillion in revenue last year, and employ as many as 3.5 million workers.
According to ABCE, twenty-one of the top Fortune 100 companies support the American Power Act, and that number jumps to forty-nine when you look at the Fortune 500.
This support echoes a trend among American businesses jumping on the environmental bandwagon.
Over the last several years, companies like Bank of America, Wal-Mart, General Electric, DuPont, and McDonald’s have launched massive advertising and PR campaigns to convince the public that they have turned over a greener leaf.
While some of these companies are clearly just looking for a way to clean up their image, others appear to be taking serious action to reduce their carbon footprints.
The question still remains as to whether or not the support of the business community will be enough to change minds in the Senate. As of right now, the bill is still struggling to find supporters, with Republican support being both necessary and unlikely for the bill’s survival.
Farron Cousins is an editor and senior staff writer for The American Trial Lawyer magazine, where he has covered issues of renewable energy and environmental law since 2007. His writings have also appeared in publications such as California's Information Press, and Pensacola's Independent Weekly.
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