There’s much we can learn from the USCAP experience in 2008.
The Quick Rundown
Most business leaders today say they favor strong climate legislation — the kind that works both for the environment and the economy. But talk, as they say, is cheap. We need these business leaders to walk their talk. We can learn from the lessons of USCAP’s near success in 2008. We showed then that business leaders can lobby effectively for climate policy. But this time around we’ll need a more diverse coalition, stronger policy proposals that will drive innovation and results, and better efforts to build broad political support.
The Good Old Days (Almost)
It was 2008 and both presidential candidates — Barack Obama and John McCain — had made addressing climate change centerpieces of their campaigns. Mainstream environmentalists saw their opportunity and joined with Fortune 100 industrial leaders to form a climate policy coalition. It was called USCAP.
Why did business leaders team up with environmentalists?