{"id":15999,"date":"2017-03-03T16:17:29","date_gmt":"2017-03-03T21:17:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/?p=15999"},"modified":"2026-03-14T13:19:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T18:19:53","slug":"when-epa-is-under-threat-so-is-business-two-key-examples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/2017\/03\/03\/when-epa-is-under-threat-so-is-business-two-key-examples\/","title":{"rendered":"When EPA Is Under Threat, So Is Business: Two Key Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"

(This post first appeared on EDF+Business.<\/em><\/a> It was written by EDF’s Liz Delaney<\/a><\/em>)<\/p>\n

American businesses benefit tremendously from the robust voluntary and regulatory programs of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These programs are now under threat of massive budget cuts and regulatory rollbacks.\u00a0 In the coming weeks and months, the experts at EDF+Business will examine what a weakened EPA means for business.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

While some politicians may question the reality of climate change, most CEOs do not. So it\u2019s no surprise that while Congress has been stuck, business has been busy addressing the problem. Luckily, they\u2019ve had a helpful partner by their side: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).<\/p>\n

Contrary to now head of the EPA Scott Pruitt\u2019s claim that business has been subjected to\u00a0<\/span>“regulatory uncertainty”<\/a>\u2014stated during this year\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>Conservative Political Action Conference<\/a>\u2014the Agency has administered a number of voluntary and regulatory programs that help corporations respond to the challenge of climate change. For companies, future planning is simply good business. This is why many in \u00a0Corporate America\u2014having long accepted that climate change is real\u2014 are continuing to transition towards low-carbon energy options and work with the EPA to move forward in a sensible, cost-effective manner.<\/p>\n

But with the recent announcement on Pruitt\u2019s plans to cut the EPA\u2019s budget by\u00a0<\/span>a reported 24 percent<\/a>\u2014roughly $6 billion, its lowest since the mid-1980’s\u2013it may be up to the business community to defend the instrumental role of the Agency in helping business thrive while protecting the environment.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at just two of the many EPA programs that have helped business transition to a clean energy future.<\/p>\n

Forging a smart economic future with the Clean Power Plan<\/span><\/h2>\n

Many in the business community strongly supported the\u00a0<\/span>EPA\u2019s Clean Power Plan<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>(CPP)\u2014the first-ever national limits on carbon pollution from power plants. The argument? Dirty sources of energy generation are becoming a growing concern for corporate America. These energy sources are increasingly uneconomic. Fortune 500 companies routinely set renewable energy and emissions reduction goals, but find roadblocks in many energy markets around the country.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, the CPP can open new opportunities for businesses interested in operating in a clean energy economy. The rule\u2019s flexible framework puts states in the driver\u2019s seat to set plans that call for the most appropriate and cost-effective solutions for meeting pollution reduction targets while spurring innovation. If you ask me, this satisfies Pruitt\u2019s call to\u00a0<\/span>“restore federalism”<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>by giving states more of a say in regulations. The plans provide clarity on the energy options available to businesses in different regions, helping to inform their long-term carbon reduction strategies and eventually increase access to cost-effective low-carbon energy.<\/p>\n

This explains why last year major innovators including\u00a0<\/span>Mars, IKEA<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>Apple, Google, and Microsoft<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>filed legal briefs in federal court supporting the EPA\u2019s Plan. And more recently, leading executives from over\u00a0<\/span>760 companies and investors<\/a>\u2014many of them Fortune 500 firms\u2014called upon the new Administration to move ahead with policies to address climate change, like the Clean Power Plan.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0<\/span>CPP is positioned to<\/a>:<\/p>\n