Dozens of the country’s biggest corporations are mounting a last-ditch attempt to dissuade President Donald Trump from abandoning the Paris Agreement, a pledge to reduce carbon emissions and stem the tide of global warming.
In full-page ads running in today’s New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and New York Post, 25 companies have signed an open letter detailing the economic benefits of adhering to the agreement. Those companies include Microsoft, Apple, Google, Adobe, Facebook, Intel, and Salesforce.
In a related TV ad, “America’s biggest CEOs,” including the leaders of JPMorgan Chase, GE, Johnson & Johnson, and Disney, make a similar case. Both ads claim the Paris Agreement will lead to job creation and will boost the U.S. economy.
Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk is one of the CEOs named in the TV ad. An outspoken supporter of the Paris Agreement, Musk has pledged to abandon his post as an advisor to Trump if the president pulls out of the climate deal.
Don't know which way Paris will go, but I've done all I can to advise directly to POTUS, through others in WH & via councils, that we remain
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 31, 2017
Under President Barack Obama, the U.S. committed to reducing carbon emissions by 26 to 28 percent by 2025. If Trump exits the Paris Agreement, the U.S. will join Syria and Nicaragua as the only non-participants.
The entreaties from the business community appeal to Trump’s sense of nationalism, stressing the economic and financial benefits of remaining in the agreement while underplaying the environmental factors.
“By expanding markets for innovative clean technologies, the agreement generates jobs and economic growth,” the newspaper ad says. “U.S. companies are well-positioned to lead in these markets. Withdrawing from the agreement will limit our access to them and could expose us to retaliatory measures.”
Two of the world’s biggest oil producers, Exxon Mobile and ConocoPhillips, also oppose pulling out of the agreement, arguing it’s better to have a seat at the table to influence global climate policy, according to Bloomberg News.
The Guardian reports EPA chief Scott Pruitt and Trump advisor Steve Bannon support an exit. Most reports say Trump is leaning toward leaving the Paris Agreement. He is expected to deliver his decision this afternoon.
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