Originally posted on ASBC website.
In October 2014, 100 companies joined together and launched the Washington Climate Declaration, a state level version of the national Climate Declaration created by CERES. Since launching, that number has increased to 185 signatories, including several business associations including ASBC, who believe that taking action on climate just makes good business sense. Collectively, we are known as Washington Business for Climate Action. Our leadership team is made up of business people from across Washington State and our mission is to engage Washington businesses by providing opportunities for education, innovation, and advocacy on climate and energy that meet the needs of a diverse range of business sectors. WBCA is also linked to a broader effort in the state - the Alliance for Jobs and Clean Energy. This is a fast growing coalition of diverse constituencies that includes business, labor, communities of color, health, faith based groups and environmental NGOs. We are uniting to support reducing carbon pollution and promote just and sustainably shared prosperity. Meanwhile, the Washington legislature is stalled over HB 1314, Governor Inslee’s bill that would introduce a cap and trade system and put a price on carbon. The initial version of the bill did not make it into the House budget, and a revised version is now under consideration. While many businesses have testified in favor of capping and pricing carbon pollution, the prospects for HB 1374 still appear cloudy, due to a divided legislature. Therefore, the next step is likely to involve developing an initiative for the people to vote on. There are good indications from prior polls that this would be popular with voters. When it comes to setting a price on carbon, business appears to generally fall into one of two camps: The Business as Usual voice
Sarah Severn is a board member of ASBC. After 21 years at Nike Inc., she relocated to Washington State. She is currently consulting and acting as a coordinator for Washington Business for Climate Action.
1 Comment
6/5/2015 03:15:29 am
I enjoyed this blog today, what is ASBC though? I appreciated your talk at Oregon Business Magazine's 100 Best Green Companies luncheon last week. (My workplace was #2.) In particular, quoting David Whyte inspired me, as I read his book 20 years ago. Thanks for your lofty speech!
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AuthorSarah's background includes a decade in the advertising industry in the UK and 21 years with Nike leading sustainability and stakeholder engagement Archives
March 2017
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