Statements from E2 Executive Director, Clean Energy Business Leaders
San Francisco, CA – (September 11, 2018) – On Wednesday, world leaders, business representatives and others from around the globe will gather at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco.
Following a statement from Bob Keefe, executive director of the national nonpartisan business group E2:
“Unless they’re in a state of denial, most world leaders now know we can address climate change and protect our environment while also creating jobs and driving economic growth in clean energy and other sectors.
“But world leaders also know they need businesses to make it happen. That’s why this summit is so important. It brings business, government, investors and environmental leaders together to create solutions to the most serious problem our world and our children face.”
E2 is hosting several business-focused events during the Global Climate Action Summit, and E2 members from across the country are attending the summit. Among them:
Greg Smith, founder and present of Energy Optimizers, an Ohio-based energy efficiency company, said:
“I am attending because I care about the future of this planet and want to ensure my kids and future generations have clean air and clean water. I believe the clean energy economy, businesses and professionals are the key to both growing the economy and ensuring clean air and water for future generations.”
Archie Kasnet, founder and president of Massachusetts-based Regenerate LLC, an environmentally focused holding company, said:
“Scaling solutions is a priority— the private sector must continue to lead the transition to a clean and regenerative economy. The climate summit is welcoming international leaders from NGOs, business, government and academia focused on creating jobs and growing the economy towards a thriving future.”
Berl Hartman, E2 New England chapter director, said:
“This summit is extremely important because it is a dramatic way for cities, states, businesses and many others to show that we intend to meet or exceed the climate goals established at the U.N. Paris Climate Summit in 2015.
“The wide range of participants at the summit highlights the fact that we are fighting the reckless behavior of the U.S. government every single day with concrete actions that lower emissions, create jobs, and strengthen the economy.”
Additional Information:
- For details on the 3.2 million Americans who work in clean energy, see Clean Jobs America.
- For details on the 2.25 million Americans who work in energy efficiency, including state-by-state breakdowns to the city, county, congressional and legislative district levels, see Energy Efficiency Jobs in America.
- For state-specific breakdowns on clean energy jobs, visit Clean Jobs Midwest, Clean Jobs Colorado, Clean Jobs Pennsylvania, and Clean Jobs Rural America
- For district-by-district breakdowns of clean energy employment in California, see Clean Energy Jobs in California.
- For our recent report on the economic benefits that could be created by offshore wind, see Offshore Wind: Generating Economic benefits on the East Coast.
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Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) is a national, nonpartisan group of business leaders, investors, and professionals from every sector of the economy who advocate for smart policies that are good for the economy and good for the environment. Our members have founded or funded more than 2,500 companies, created more than 600,000 jobs, and manage more than $100 billion in venture and private equity capital. For more information, see www.e2.org or follow us on Twitter at @e2org.