Today is the last day of the Marrakech Climate Conference where the 22nd Conference of the Parties (COP22) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, also known as the Paris agreement, takes place. The agenda focuses on financing the transition to a low-carbon economy to reach the targets agreed upon in Paris last year. In support of that work, leaders of more than 100 U.S. companies, including Prisere LLC, signed a letter addressed to President Obama, President-Elect Trump, the U.S. Congress and global leaders participating in the Marrakech conference to reaffirm our deep commitment to addressing climate change through implementation of the historic Paris agreement. The letter will appear in its entirety in U.S. business news media as well as online to underscore that addressing climate impacts is a top priority for U.S. businesses. We want the US economy to be energy efficient and powered by low-carbon energy. Cost-effective and innovative solutions can help us achieve these objectives. Failure to build a low-carbon economy puts American prosperity at risk. But the right action now will create jobs and boost US competitiveness. We pledge to do our part, in our own operations and beyond, to realize the Paris Agreement’s commitment of a global economy that limits global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius. Specifically, we call for:
- Continuation of low-carbon policies to allow the US to meet or exceed our promised national commitment and to increase our nation’s future ambition;
- Investment in the low carbon economy at home and abroad in order to give financial decision-makers clarity and boost the confidence of investors worldwide; and
- Continued US participation in the Paris Agreement, in order to provide the long-term direction needed to keep global temperature rise below 2°C.
Implementing the Paris Agreement will enable and encourage businesses and investors to turn the billions of dollars in existing low-carbon investments into the trillions of dollars the world needs to bring clean energy and prosperity to all.