Chamber defends climate stance

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is not softening its stance against climate legislation despite losing four companies over its opposition to a carbon cap.

Tech giant Apple became the fourth company to quit the Chamber on Monday.

“We would prefer that the Chamber take a more progressive stance on this critical issue and play a constructive role in addressing the climate crisis,” wrote Catherine Novelli, vice president for worldwide government affairs at Apple, to Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue.

On Tuesday, Donohue responded in a letter to Apple CEO Steven Jobs.

“It is unfortunate that your company didn’t take the time to understand the Chamber’s position on climate and forfeited the opportunity to advance a 21st century approach to climate change,” Donohue wrote.

He said the Chamber “continues to support federal legislation and a binding international agreement to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change.”

The Chamber just does not the Waxman-Markey bill that passed the House because studies have found it would cost jobs, Donohue wrote. And it also opposes the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent move to regulate greenhouse gas emissions at utilities and large industrial facilities through the Clean Air Act, the position that Novelli specifically noted in Apple’s decision to quit the Chamber.

Donohue said the Chamber supports more investment in technologies that would curb greenhouse gas emissions, and noted the broader business community’s efforts to address the problem.

“Supporting innovation and technology is at the very heart of our efforts to combat climate change, and we will continue to fight for an approach that embraces their merits,” Donohue wrote. “It is a shame that Apple will not be a part of our efforts.”