Hundreds of U.S. businesses and investors are calling on the Biden Administration to set climate action policy and ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
A letter sent to President Biden on Tuesday by companies ranging from small enterprises to multinational corporations said that many of them have set or are setting emissions reduction goals in line with those of the Paris Agreement and have taken or are taking other steps toward a net-zero emissions future.
"If you raise the bar on our national ambition, we will raise our own ambition to move the U.S. forward on this journey. While an effective national climate strategy will require all of us, you alone can set the course by swiftly establishing a bold U.S. 2030 target," said the signatories, including executives from Apple, Microsoft, Walmart, Verizon and Unilever.
The letter, coordinated by the We Mean Business coalition and Ceres, said that the "bold target" of cutting global greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% below 2005 levels by 2030 will also help spur a robust economic recovery and allow the U.S. to "build back better" from the coronavirus pandemic.
A similar letter from chief executives of three major investor groups — CDP, Ceres and Principles for Responsible Investment — was sent Tuesday. The letters came out in advance of an expected announcement from the White House on U.S. emissions targets known as national determined contributions, or NDC, before the Leaders' Climate Summit to be hosted by President Biden on April 22-23.
