Californian companies join forces to back clean tech

A group of 140 companies in California have called for government to agree an ambitious climate change legislation that will support emissions reduction and investment in clean technologies.

The group issued an update on their Climate Declaration last week, which was initially proposed last year by the Ceres group of sustainable investors and Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy (BICEP).

The latest Declaration highlights the commitment of California’s leading businesses to reduce carbon emissions and support climate change mitigation measures.

The new Declaration states that "As the world's 8th largest economy, California is a champion of clean energy progress and innovation…California has been a global leader in job creation, clean energy investments and GDP growth. We, the California-based companies below are proud to sign the Climate Declaration in recognition of the economic opportunities associated with reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, the development of renewable energy and alternative transportation fuels, and the preservation of clean water for ourselves and for future generations."

The statement is backed by a host of blue chip companies including Acer, Apple, Autodesk, eBay, Gap, General Motors, Intel, Levi Strauss, Nestle, Symantec and The North Face.

Anne Kelly, director of policy and BICEP at Ceres, welcomed the Declaration saying: "The 140-plus California companies which have signed the Climate Declaration see the financial upside of tackling climate change today, both for their own bottom lines and the overall economy. We welcome them, invite others to come on board and applaud the state of California for its bold steadfast leadership on climate and energy policy."