Top US investors and companies unite to promote low carbon future ahead of Trump inauguration

Some of the leading institutional investors in the US and a host of the country’s blue-chip companies have called on the incoming Trump administration and the new Congress to support policies to accelerate a low-carbon future that will help curb climate change.

In total, there are 637 signatories (see below) to a statement issued today ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 45th President on January 20 – including the likes of CalSTRS and the New York State Common Retirement Fund alongside major firms such as DuPont, Gap, General Mills, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Hilton, Nike, Intel and a host of other household names.

“We want the U.S. economy to be energy efficient and powered by low-carbon energy,” the signatories say, in a show of unity across the investor-corporate chain.

“Cost-effective and innovative solutions can help us achieve these objectives. Failure to build a low-carbon economy puts American prosperity at risk. But the right action now will create jobs and boost US competitiveness.”

The investor signatories collectively manage more than $2trn in assets while the corporate signatories account for more than $1trn in annual revenue and employ about 1.8m people.

Trump has claimed climate change is a hoax and has put climate change sceptic Scott Pruitt in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency, made Exxon Mobil’s CEO his Secretary of State and pledged to eliminate climate change research conducted by space agency Nasa.

The statement can be found at www.lowcarbonusa.org.Investor signatories (selected):

As You Sow
Athens Impact LLC
Azzad Asset Management
Baldwin Brothers Inc.
Boston Common Asset Management
California State Teachers Retirement System
Clean Yield Asset Management
Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds
Cornerstone Capital Group
Domini Social Investments LLC
Green Century Capital Management
Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility
Mercy Investment Services
Miller/Howard Investments
New York City Comptroller’s Office
New York State Common Retirement Fund
NorthStar Asset Management, Inc.
Office of the General Treasurer of Rhode Island
Oregon State Treasurer
Pax World Funds
Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment
Trillium Asset Management LLC
Walden Asset Management
Wespath Benefits and Investments
Zevin Asset Management

Corporate signatories (selected):

adidas Group; Adobe; Allianz; AMD; Du Pont; eBay; DuPont; Gap; General Mills; Hewlett Packard Enterprise; Hilton; Intel: JLL; Johnson & Johnson; Kellogg; Levi Strauss & Co.; Mars Incorporated; Mondelēz International; Monsanto; Nike; Pacific Gas and Electric Co.; Staples; Starbucks; Unilever.