The pace of efforts to lower carbon emissions is quickening. Three months ago Hank Paulson, Michael Bloomberg, Robert Rubin and others released a report, entitled Risky Business, beginning to quantify the economic risks of climate change to the US economy and calling on businesses to engage in mitigating this risk. Last month the United Nations kicked off a year-long round of talks focused on how nations will take responsibility for lowering their carbon emissions. Closer to home, Governor Jay Inslee has pledged to introduce carbon pricing legislation in Washington State.

Now, a group of Washington businesses without a direct stake in this issue is organizing and publicly declaring their desire for more action in carbon emissions reduction for Washington State. We invite you to join that group by signing a declaration located here.

Why, you may ask, should I involve our business in an issue with no obvious impact on our operations?

Public policy in this area could significantly impact our overall economic competitiveness. I mentioned Governor Inslee’s proposal for a price on carbon. This is probably the single most important policy action to address the problem. And, according to a recent OFM analysis, a $20 per ton tax on carbon would raise approximately $1.1 billion per year of revenue. You may know that the state currently faces a significant revenue shortfall because of a State Supreme court ruling on basic education funding (McCleary) as well as other issues. How potential new revenue is used by the state could significantly enhance or degrade our economic competitiveness. Involvement of businesses without a direct stake in the issue is key to ensuring that the state keeps the broadest view possible of the economy in deciding where that investment would go.

Climate change is at heart, a question of science – are human generated emissions of greenhouse gases causing the planet to warm up at rates that are dangerous to our collective future?

Technology companies like those in the WTIA are staffed with technical people better equipped than others to evaluate the science and form a view on whether there is a problem or not. By coming out for public policy on this issue, your company can help others with less ability to gage the issue to make up their minds about whether action is needed.

Business is in the best position to speak up on issues that pose systemic threats to our state, national and global economy. The Risky Business effort has begun the process of broad business engagement here, but that process needs to extend down to the state level and to individual businesses speaking up.

Please join us in this important effort. Click here to read the declaration and sign up.

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Written by Rogers Weed, VP, Product Management, 1Energy Systems, Inc