# USCAP Doubles in Size and Adds GM

*Published:* 2007-05-08
*Author:* David Yarnold

*[David Yarnold](http://www.environmentaldefense.org/page.cfm?tagID=989), today’s guest blogger, is Executive Vice President of Environmental Defense, and co-chair of the USCAP Communications committee.*

Today the [United States Climate Action Partnership](http://www.us-cap.org/) (USCAP) announced it has doubled its membership. This was no small feat for a coalition comprised of busy corporate CEOs.

 USCAP is a coalition of businesses and environmental organizations advocating national legislation for mandatory reduction of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. New members such as General Motors (the coalition’s first automaker) and The Nature Conversancy speak to how mainstream the issue of global warming has become.

I act as co-chair of USCAP’s Communications committee with Peter O’Toole of GE. We worked with the Membership committee to set the goal of doubling the coalition’s size, and to create a sense of urgency around it. [Mark Brownstein](http://www.environmentaldefense.org/page.cfm?tagID=869), Managing Director of Business Partnerships at Environmental Defense, was a major source of outreach on the Membership committee. [John DeCicco](http://www.environmentaldefense.org/page.cfm?tagID=883), Environmental Defense’s Michigan-based car expert, played a vital role in discussions to welcome General Motors into the coalition.

Our goal in recruiting new members was to broaden economic actors and interests, diversified by industry and geography. A given: members agree to support all the [recommendations and principles of the partnership’s *Call For Action* \[PDF\]](http://www.us-cap.org/ClimateReport.pdf). Support at the CEO level aids us in working with Congress; there can be no doubt about the company’s commitment when the CEO is involved.

We met our goal. The new members – all leaders in their industry sectors – include AIG, Alcan, Boston Scientific, ConocoPhillips, Deere & Company, The Dow Chemical Company, General Motors Corp., Johnson & Johnson, Marsh, PepsiCo, Shell Oil, and Siemens, plus The Nature Conservancy and the National Wildlife Federation. USCAP companies now have total revenues of $1.7 trillion, a collective workforce of more than 2 million people, and operations in all 50 states.

Our new broader membership base will spark richer and deeper discussions as we work out policy details. And most importantly, it will send an even stronger signal to Congress that wide support exists for enacting comprehensive legislation to protect the climate. For more analysis, see our [expanded article](http://www.environmentaldefense.org/article.cfm?contentID=5828) on the news.