Chamber Climate Rots Apple

Apple, which recently released a report that gave people a much closer look at the company's carbon footprint, left the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Monday because of the chamber's climate policy. As I read this New York Times blog about the computer maker's resignation, Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" rang clearly through my head.

In the last few weeks, three utility companies (PG&E, Exelon Corporation and PNM Resources) have also parted ways with the chamber, and last week, as I covered here, Nike left the chamber's board of directors while retaining its membership. Now, with Apple's departure, the chamber may be left wondering when the next shoe will drop.

Apple's resignation was effective immediately, and according to a company letter dated October 5, "We strongly object to the chamber's recent comments opposing the EPA's effort to limit greenhouse gases." The letter (available for download at the New York Times blog) is from Catherine A. Novelli, vice president of worldwide government affairs at Apple, and addressed to the president and CEO of the chamber, Thomas J. Donohue.

Donohue, in a release last week, stated "... we believe that Congress should set climate policy through legislation, rather than having the EPA apply existing environmental statues that were not created to regulate greenhouse gas emissions." According to this L.A. Times blog, the chamber "claims that is just doing its job -- protecting 3 million American companies and their jobs from pointless or costly regulation by Washington."

With recognizable and potentially influential companies such as Apple and Nike voicing opposition to the chamber's climate policy, don't be surprised if you hear similar news stories in the coming weeks. And with an important international climate-related meeting this December in Copenhagen (surrounding the Kyoto Treaty), there is certain to be more climate change policy news in the coming months, so stay tuned.

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