Energy and Environment Committee
Business Roundtable was the first broad-based business group to call for action on climate change. The environmental and energy challenges facing the United States and the rest of the world are serious obstacles to economic growth. Threats of increasing greenhouse gas emissions and the impacts of climate change – along with rising energy prices and growing energy demand must be managed with thoughtful and far-sighted government policies and business strategies. Business Roundtable CEOs are committed to working with policymakers to forge a path to a more sustainable future and we remain committed to a vision for America’s energy future that is more diverse, more domestic and more efficient.
Click here to read “Taking Action on Energy: A CEO Vision for America’s Energy Future".
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Fast Facts on Energy, the Environment and the Economy:
- The International Energy Agency predicts a 70 percent increase in global energy use by 2050.
- U.S. energy consumption is expected to increase 14 percent by 2035, with more than three-quarters of that energy produced by fossil fuels.
- By 2020, U.S. companies will invest between $60 and $100 billion in improving the electricity transmission system.
- The EPA estimates that companies will need to spend anywhere from $19 to $90 billion to comply with its proposed ozone standards.
Environmental, energy and economic policies are inextricably linked. America needs secure, reliable, affordable and sustainable energy resources to power economic growth and job creation. America’s energy systems must become more diverse, more domestic and more efficient. That means greater access to domestic resources, more alternative energy supply, more efficient energy use, more advanced energy technology deployment and the creation of a more modern energy infrastructure, including new transmission lines and smart grid technology to reliably power America’s homes and factories.
When it comes to energy and environmental regulation, we support President Obama's initiative to streamline the federal regulatory apparatus, review all existing federal regulation and avoid new regulations that impede innovation, diminish U.S. competitiveness in the global economy and restrain job creation and economic expansion.
In particular, BRT supports the extension of the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada’s Athabasca Oil Sands to the U.S. Gulf Coast, as it will create new American jobs and increase America's energy security. The project was proposed by TransCanada in 2005 and has since overcome several regulatory hurdles. However, on January 18, the State Department, which has the authority to approve the permit for U.S. construction to begin, walked away from the Keystone XL pipeline project, a move that amounts to the deferral of thousands of jobs and improved U.S. energy security.
The Keystone XL pipeline project remains a crucial next step as America progresses toward a secure energy future. View BRT’s infographic (above right) to learn more about how the pipeline can improve U.S. energy security and create jobs
We stand ready to work with policymakers to develop legislation and regulations that mitigate the impacts of climate change and improve environmental quality, while also maintaining robust economic growth and enhancing energy security.
