Executives from companies including Apple, Disney, Amazon, and Microsoft have been linked to lobbying groups backing a fight against the bill containing new measures to fight climate change, according to reporting from the Guardian based on analysis by nonpartisan watchdog group Accountable.us — despite the companies’ public promises to fight climate change.
The $3.5 trillion budget bill contains measures that would decrease America’s greenhouse gas emissions and improve infrastructure to be more climate-friendly. It’s reportedly being fought by lobbyists and business groups that are controlled or supported by executives such as Tim Cook (CEO of Apple), Andy Jassy (CEO of Amazon), Sundar Pichai (CEO of Google’s parent company Alphabet), and Darren Woods (CEO of ExxonMobil). Other groups’ boards include executives from Microsoft, Intuit, United Airlines, and Deloitte. All of these companies have made public statements and promises to address the climate crisis - from pledges to go “carbon-negative” (Microsoft), to only using renewable energy in the next decade (Disney). The Guardian reports that none of the companies it contacted criticized the lobbying groups they are connected to, nor committed to reviewing their connections.
An Amazon spokesperson told NowThis that the company supports the bill saying, “Amazon has made bold commitments to reduce our carbon emissions, and we continue to encourage other companies to join us. We support investments in the Infrastructure and Build Back Better bills to lower emissions in key sectors like energy and transportation, and we believe these investments will help advance America’s carbon reduction goals. As we said earlier this year, we support an increase in the corporate tax rate to pay for things like infrastructure, and we look forward to Congress and the administration coming together to find the right, balanced solution that maintains or enhances U.S. competitiveness.” The representative did not comment on Mr. Jassy’s reported connection to one of the lobbying groups.
This bill is the first major attempt at climate legislation in a decade and comes at a pivotal moment in the fight against global warming. Scientists have repeatedly warned that we are running out of time to avoid catastrophic changes, and people are already feeling the effects – from droughts, heatwaves, and flooding.
The $3.5 trillion budget bill contains measures that would decrease America’s greenhouse gas emissions and improve infrastructure to be more climate-friendly. It’s reportedly being fought by lobbyists and business groups that are controlled or supported by executives such as Tim Cook (CEO of Apple), Andy Jassy (CEO of Amazon), Sundar Pichai (CEO of Google’s parent company Alphabet), and Darren Woods (CEO of ExxonMobil). Other groups’ boards include executives from Microsoft, Intuit, United Airlines, and Deloitte. All of these companies have made public statements and promises to address the climate crisis - from pledges to go “carbon-negative” (Microsoft), to only using renewable energy in the next decade (Disney). The Guardian reports that none of the companies it contacted criticized the lobbying groups they are connected to, nor committed to reviewing their connections.
An Amazon spokesperson told NowThis that the company supports the bill saying, “Amazon has made bold commitments to reduce our carbon emissions, and we continue to encourage other companies to join us. We support investments in the Infrastructure and Build Back Better bills to lower emissions in key sectors like energy and transportation, and we believe these investments will help advance America’s carbon reduction goals. As we said earlier this year, we support an increase in the corporate tax rate to pay for things like infrastructure, and we look forward to Congress and the administration coming together to find the right, balanced solution that maintains or enhances U.S. competitiveness.” The representative did not comment on Mr. Jassy’s reported connection to one of the lobbying groups.
This bill is the first major attempt at climate legislation in a decade and comes at a pivotal moment in the fight against global warming. Scientists have repeatedly warned that we are running out of time to avoid catastrophic changes, and people are already feeling the effects – from droughts, heatwaves, and flooding.
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