Abandon ship?

The United States Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit business federation that lobbies and campaigns for the interests of businesses across the US. That’s the idea, anyway. Right now, the US Senate is debating whether to pass the Waxman-Markey bill on climate change, a piece of fairly serious legislation, and the Chamber has stated its opposition to the bill.

Recent weeks have seen a bunch of major companies either leave the organisation entirely (Apple, PG&E, Exelon), or resign their position on the board (Nike), based on the Chamber of Commerce’s position on climate change. Nike says it will fight from within to retain influence, whilst Apple has simply cut its ties. Clearly, some companies have decided that their business interests are being damaged by the Chamber, rather than fought for.

Apple’s record in the green world merits some investigation. The company has taken a good deal of flack regarding its emissions as well as its use of worrying substances in its products. But read this Businessweek article on Apple’s environmental strategy and the impression you get is one of a company that cares less about perceptions than it does about real, measurable progress.

Whether we believe everything Apple tells us, or whether we are swayed by the Chamber of Commerce’s counter-arguments, it is evident that this membership organisation is in trouble. It risks losing a lot more members if it does not stay relevant to their interests, with mega-corporation General Electric also distancing itself from the Chamber’s views on climate change. It should be interesting to see whether this position will change in the near future.