Building Business Support for Climate & Energy Policy

In 2008 Ceres, together with founding companies – Levi Strauss & Co., Nike, Starbucks, Sun Microsystems (now part of Oracle Corporation), and Timberland–launched Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP) to bring large consumer company voices to the climate and energy policy debate in Washington DC.

BICEP members believe that climate change will impact all sectors of the economy and that varied business perspectives are needed in developing U.S. and international climate policies. BICEP member companies, now numbering 19 and growing, support the following principles and policy elements:

BICEP Principles

• Promote Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
• Increase Investment in a Clean Energy Economy
• Support Climate Change Adaptation, Technology Transfer and Forest Preservation

Essential Policy Elements

Establish aggressive energy efficiency policies: The United States should promote at least a doubling of the historic rate of efficiency improvement.

Adopt a renewable energy policy: The United States should require that 20 percent of the nation’s electricity be generated by renewable energy sources by 2020, and 30 percent by 2030.

Increase investment in clean energy technology: The United States should encourage and incentivize public and private investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy technology.

Encourage transportation for a clean energy economy: The United States should enact standards, incentives, and other policies to promote efficient and alternative fuel vehicles, low-carbon fuels, reductions in vehicle miles traveled and transit-oriented development.

Promote an efficient energy market by adjusting fuel subsidies and pricing carbon appropriately: The United States should adjust energy subsidies to discourage higher polluting energy sources and provide incentives for cleaner ones. All energy prices and relevant subsidies should eventually reflect their full environmental, social and economic costs.

Support climate change adaptation domestically and internationally: The United States should support the development of adaptation technology to prepare for and adapt to extreme weather, water scarcity, reduced crop yields, and other climate impacts that harm local communities and global supply chains alike.

Support developing countries in reducing carbon emissions: The United States should support developing countries in designing and implementing low carbon growth strategies by encouraging technology transfers and forest protection.

Learn more at www.ceres.org/bicep.