In 2022, Congress debated historic climate legislation which started as a large legislative package called the Build Back Better Act and eventually passed as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). During these battles many tech companies stayed silent, while Salesforce executives vocally endorsed the need for federal climate legislation.
- Eric Loeb, VP of government affairs was quoted in Protocol saying “We urgently need to move our country forward to a more sustainable future, one that will create jobs, reduce pollution, drive greater economic security and increase equity and access to clean energy for lower-income communities.”1
- Salesforce communicated clear support for the “pay-for” provisions in Build Back Better and publicly distanced themselves from the Chamber’s opposition to the bill.2 In a Politico article Salesforce’s head of global sustainability stated “The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s position on the [$3.5 trillion] reconciliation package does not reflect Salesforce’s perspective on the need for immediate and bold climate action.”3
- EVP and Chief Impact Officer, Suzanne DiBianca published a CNN op-ed stating, “Business can help lead the way and innovate new climate solutions, but we cannot achieve the scale of emission reductions the world needs, nor can we secure a resilient energy future, without government support and leadership.”4
More recently, Salesforce advocated for strong climate disclosure laws, both at the state level in California and federal level via the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
“In this climate emergency, we need every organization to get to net zero as fast as possible … Therefore, we write in support of Senate Bill 253.”5 ClimateVoice founder Bill Weihl noted in a GreenBiz column that, “In California, the future of the climate disclosure bill Senate Bill 253 in September looked very doubtful, until companies such as Apple, Microsoft and Salesforce used their clout in the final days to tip the scales in favor of passage.”6
Salesforce continued this commitment to transparency by advocating for a strong federal standard for climate disclosure.7 During the SEC’s proposed rule comment period the company issued the following statement: “We applaud the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for its ongoing efforts to evaluate and enhance its rules, with a goal of reporting consistent, comparable, and reliable information on climate change.”