Fortune 5000 Execs on the Kyoto Protocol

Although opinions about the Kyoto Protocol—the international treaty addressing global warming—are split among Fortune 5000 executives, the majority of these business leaders support many of the provisions within the protocol, according to American Viewpoint, a Washington, D.C.-based Republican polling firm.

By Consulting Specifying Engineer Staff October 9, 2002

Although opinions about the Kyoto Protocol—the international treaty addressing global warming—are split among Fortune 5000 executives, the majority of these business leaders support many of the provisions within the protocol, according to American Viewpoint, a Washington, D.C.-based Republican polling firm.

“U.S. business executives are not monolithically opposed to the Kyoto Protocol,” says Phillip Clapp, president of the National Environment Trust, the organization that commissioned the poll. “More than a third actually support Senate ratification of the treaty, and roughly another third say they don’t have enough information to make a decision.”

Certain policies contained within the protocol were supported by the majority of respondents, such as 61% favoring an emissions credit trading system and 65% supporting the awarding of credits to companies investing in energy efficiency.

Three-fourths of respondents also expressed the opinion that global warming is, indeed, a serious problem, and 82% anticipate the U.S. government will be regulating emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants by 2010.

“This view accounts for some of the movement we have seen in the business community in the past two years,” says Clapp. “That is why more and more companies are investing in reducing their emissions now, rather than waiting for the government to act.”

For more information on the poll, see: https://environet.policy.net/warming/newsroom/businessmedia/sld001.html .