Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1

If my company leaves the Chamber, what else can they do?

Accepted Answer

Your company can and should lead starting now. Here’s what this looks like: Companies should publicly distance themselves from trade association positions and statements that do not align with strong climate action and leadership, while urging other companies to do the same;  Companies should consistently and forcefully lobby for bold and just climate policies at the federal, state and local levels;  Companies should align political contributions with climate leadership and action; and Companies should lead or join pro-climate coalitions in advocating strongly for pro-climate policies. Check out our recent GreenBiz piece “Don’t play both sides: Take 3 steps now to fix your trade group gap” for additional detail. Resources ClimateVoice Trade Association Explainer FAQ  ClimateVoice &#8220;Connect the Dots&#8221; Series

Question 2

Isn&#8217;t there an opportunity for companies to influence pro-climate policies from within the Chamber? Can&#8217;t my company make a bigger impact this way?

Accepted Answer

In 2017, a group of companies formed The Climate Solutions Working Group, a small group of Chamber members dedicated to reforming the Chamber’s climate lobbying. Some of the Chamber’s high-level statements have appeared more positive, for example, lobbying on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), starting a task force for climate actions, and making positive statements supporting the climate elements of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal (BID).  There is zero public evidence that these companies have changed the Chamber’s anti-climate position. An InfluenceMap briefing found “shifts in the Chamber’s high-level messaging since 2017 have been little more than PR tactics.”  In fact, over the past year, the Chamber had opportunities to endorse landmark climate legislation (the Inflation Reduction Act) and support several significant environmental regulations. Instead, they actively opposed climate policy action. The Inflation Reduction Act was originally part of a larger legislative package called the Build Back Better Act. The U.S. Chamber lobbied against that bill and spent millions of dollars on ad campaigns to persuade the final two decisive votes, Senators Manchin and Sinema, to oppose it. Politico covered the Chamber’s strategy writing, “The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is readying a multi-pronged ad blitz aimed at keeping the pressure on two of the bill’s key holdouts in the Senate, Democrats Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona… Manchin has re-emerged of late as the primary roadblock to the bill, which would raise taxes on corporations, fund climate initiatives and reform prescription drug pricing — all provisions that the Chamber doesn’t like.”  In a 2023 briefing, InfluenceMap compared the Chamber’s climate policy positions to the American Petroleum Institute (API) and found remarkable consistency.Once Congress passed the IRA in August of 2022 the Chamber continued to oppose the legislation, but acknowledged that “While it is worth noting that there are parts of the bill that would advance progress on climate and energy security, the benefits of these provisions do not outweigh the negative impacts of the provisions discussed above.”

Question 3

What are the reasons my company joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and can those goals be achieved outside the Chamber?

Accepted Answer

Companies participate in trade associations for multiple reasons, but the primary benefit is lobbying. Trade associations communicate with lawmakers, on behalf of their members, to influence specific policies at the federal, state and local levels. The Chamber&#8217;s power comes from its large membership, and the money they spend on lobbying, advertising, and campaign contributions (this money comes from member companies including dues).  Most companies join to get the Chamber weighing in in support of things the company cares about – like less regulation, lower taxes, and immigration. According to Bill Weihl, former Google and Facebook sustainability leader, “When companies say they don&#8217;t want to alienate or disagree with the Chamber publicly, they&#8217;re basically saying that their business interests trump what society needs.”Apple left the Chamber in 2009 over its anti-climate positions, which proves that companies can leave the Chamber and still thrive.

Question 4

Why is climate policy important?

Accepted Answer

We need ambitious climate policy to solve the crisis at scale. Achieving ambitious carbon reduction goals (50% cut by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050) will take broad sweeping public policy changes at all levels. By leveraging the power of the corporate sector, we can accelerate the passage of just, science-based public policy. However, too many companies are narrowly focused on reducing emissions in their own operations, or on innovation, and do not use their influence to advocate for policy. As a result, fossil fuel companies are the dominant business voice in many climate debates. These vested interests, including trade associations, continue to block meaningful climate legislation.