In the last legislative session, state lawmakers introduced a proposal to limit the REPS, and pushed for other bills that impose barriers for renewable energy projects and change setback requirements for wind power. Fortunately, these bills didn’t gain traction, but they did create policy uncertainty for businesses and have the potential to hurt future investments.

Two weeks ago, representatives from major businesses presented before the state’s Energy Policy Council (EPC) to discuss the need for policy certainty and new policies that further clean energy investment. As some of the largest energy users in the state, the businesses, which included New Belgium Brewing, VF Corporation, Schneider Electric, Novozymes, Pfizer, Smithfield Foods, Food Lion, U.S. Marine Corps, and Nova Energy Consultants, play an important role in accelerating the state’s clean energy future.

During the EPC meeting, Pfizer, VF Corporation, Novozymes, and Schneider discussed their significant commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions and increase their investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. These businesses have found they can reduce emissions while saving money and generating revenue.

From 2009 through 2015, VF Corporation—the makers of more than 30 iconic brands including The North Face, Vans, Timberland, Wrangler, Jansport, Nautica and Lee—reduced their global carbon use by 12.6 percent while growing their revenues 75 percent and increasing their building fleet by roughly 40 percent. They also saved more than $25 million as a result.

Novozymes—a global biotechnology company—is also committed to clean energy. At its U.S. headquarters in Franklinton, N.C., the company recently installed an anaerobic digester that uses the spent enzymes from its operations to meet a portion of its energy needs. This is part of the company’s broader commitment to improve energy efficiency by 30 percent and source 30 percent of its energy needs from renewable energy.

Arlan Peters, Head of Sustainability of Novozymes, said, “The question is not whether we are going to invest, but where are we going to invest.”

North Carolina lawmakers should listen to Peters’ message and consider tax credits, cost recovery, and other policies that reduce the complexity for companies looking to invest in the state.

VF Corporation recently made a 100% renewable energy commitment. It is now looking for states with supportive clean energy policies to procure renewable energy. During the EPC meeting, Letitia Webster, the company’s Global Vice President for Sustainability, called on lawmakers to open up the marketplace and create choices for companies through passage of the  Energy Freedom Act (HB 245), which would let businesses obtain power from third parties through power purchase agreements.

Earlier this year, New Belgium Brewing opened their second brewery and tasting room in Ashville, N.C. The brewing company, like Sierra Nevada and others, recognizes the energy demands of its industry and has made significant commitments to policies that make it easy for breweries to produce their own energy, access clean energy from their utilities, and more efficiently use shared resources. That’s why both New Belgium and Sierra Nevada support North Carolina’s successful REPS—which requires utilities to meet 12.5 percent of their energy needs from renewable energy resources by 2021.

The state must maintain current policies and continue to pass forward-thinking energy proposals that allow for choice, encourage renewable energy and energy efficiency, and diversify the state’s energy resources. This will ensure that North Carolina can continue to lead the way in spurring clean energy investments.

Alli Gold Roberts is a Manger on Ceres’ Policy Team. Follow her on twitter @alligroberts.

Fetzer Vineyards, a certified B Corp, is one of the largest organic wine grape growers in the U.S. certified by California Certified Organic Farmers and is the first winery in California to operate on 100 percent renewable energy. Fetzer first began purchasing green energy from a renewable energy provider in 1998, and in 2006 the company installed the largest rooftop solar array in the wine industry at the time. As its next phase, Fetzer plans to reduce energy use per unit of production 20 percent by 2020.

“Fetzer Vineyards sees its membership as an important and logical extension of the company’s commitment to addressing climate change through support of smart policy, a unified approach and creative thinking,” the company writes.

While new to BICEP, Fetzer Vineyards is not new to the Ceres family. The company has been a member of Ceres’ Connect the Drops campaign, which aims to support resilient water solutions amidst an unprecedented California drought, since December of 2015.

Fetzer Vineyards is now the 38^th BICEP member, joining fellow industry leaders such as Mars Incorporated, Levi Strauss & Co., Kellogg Company, and IKEA USA.

While the two radio conversations touched upon corporate sustainability broadly, the subject of carbon pricing seemed to take center stage. Seventh Generation and Ben & Jerry’s in particular have supported legislation to institute a carbon tax in their home state of Vermont, and both companies are also getting ahead of the curve by instituting internal carbon pricing systems. The companies are using the funds generated from their internal carbon price to pay for energy efficiency upgrades and other sustainability projects.

Chris Miller, Social Mission Activism Manager at Ben & Jerry’s, sees carbon pricing as an essential part of climate policy: “We can’t solve the issue of global climate change without a price on carbon,” he told radio listeners.

Supply chain management was also deemed a major opportunity for corporate sustainability leadership. According to Lisa Drake, Stonyfield’s Director of Sustainability Innovation, out of all the elements of Stonyfield’s business, their supply chain creates the greatest climate impact and yet presents the greatest vulnerability to climate change. As a result, Drake advises, companies can drive significant change and ensure long-term business stability by closely monitoring suppliers and seeking genuine improvements.

John Replogle, CEO of cleaning and household product company Seventh Generation, commented that both carbon pricing and supply chain sustainability efforts are part of a shift in corporate thinking. Change has “got to come from specifically business leadership,” Replogle told listeners. “We need a revolution in the way we think about business leadership.”

BICEP Director Anne Kelly told listeners that BICEP members have been making tremendous strides when it comes to supply chain management and sustainability more broadly—and they are even ‘walking the talk’ by engaging policymakers on vital climate change policies.

“Companies have seen their supply chains suffer from extreme weather, from damage to various crops and commodities, from sugar to rice to cacao to corn to leather to cotton, and they’ve had enough,” Anne Kelly said. Businesses and investors are bringing a ‘collective message, which says, ‘we’ve done the math. We have to do something about climate change; the cost of inaction is far greater than the cost of active swiftly.’”

Click here to listen to the June 16^th episode featuring Chris Miller of Ben & Jerry’s and Anne Kelly of Ceres.

Click here to listen to the June 23^rd episode featuring John Replogle of Seventh Generation and Lisa Drake of Stonyfield.

Working with the group Energy Independent Vermont, Seventh Generation and Ben & Jerry's have helped to recruit over 500 Vermont businesses and more than 25,000 Vermonters in support of the carbon tax proposal. A carbon price is viewed by many as a market-based and cost-effective solution to reducing the harmful emissions that contribute climate change.

Two bills have been introduced in the Vermont House this session (H.395 and H.412) that would establish a fee per metric ton of carbon dioxide emitted by fossil fuels. In both pieces of legislation, up to 90 percent of the revenue collected would be offset by reductions in other taxes or through tax credits, and a portion would specifically help to relieve low-income earners. The state's electric utilities - whose carbon emissions are already regulated under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) - would not be included in this plan.

While a carbon tax is not expected to pass this year, thanks to the efforts of Seventh Generation and Ben & Jerry's, the proposal is gathering significant steam. Vermont has set a goal of reducing state-wide greenhouse gas emissions 75 percent by 2050, and a carbon price would significantly help the state achieve that target.

Read more about BICEP members' involvement in the push for a Vermont carbon tax here.

BICEP members Seventh Generation, Ben & Jerry's, and Burton Snowboards have also been leading the effort on a Vermont Business Climate Declaration; interested businesses can join the campaign here.

Led by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), the Smart City Challenge is designed to encourage the adoption of innovative technologies and strategic design to improve safety, enhance mobility, and address climate change in U.S. cities. Under this initiative, mid-sized cities compete by putting forward their best and most creative ideas for innovatively addressing the growing challenges faced by modern cities. Increased use of the electricity grid, and deployment of autonomous vehicles are just some of the elements that can make a modern city a "smart" one.

Identifying the importance of this initiative - and the potential it could bring to modern urban infrastructure - Vulcan Inc. and Autodesk have pledged their support. Alongside USDOT's $40 million commitment, Vulcan has pledged up to an additional $10 million for the winning city, in addition to providing technical assistance and guidance to the finalist cities. Autodesk, meanwhile, has committed to outfit the finalist cities with complimentary access to its 3-D design technology software - including software training and technical support for all the finalists - to help better define the cities' visions.

Seven Smart City Challenge finalists were announced in March, and the winning city is expected to be announced this June.

You can learn more about the Smart City Challenge here.

Submitting public comment in response to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) draft federal truck rules, the twelve companies contested that, while the draft standards are a good first step, even stronger standards can bring more environmental benefit and also be cost-effective.

EPA and NHTSA's draft rule calls for a 36% reduction in fuel use by 2027, but the companies argued that advances in technology can cost-effectively reduce truck fuel consumption at a faster pace: at 40 percent below 2010 levels by 2025. These stronger standards are estimated to save companies an additional 33% in fuel spending.

"We believe that stronger cost-effective standards make economic and environmental sense," the companies said. "The availability of fuel efficient trucks is critical to reducing our carbon footprints as well as our fuel costs and ultimately cost-savings to the consumer."

The statement - signed by the likes of Annie's, General Mills, Clif Bar, Stonyfield Farm, and Ben & Jerry's - also appeared as a full-page ad in POLITICO.

Freight trucks emit over half-a-billion tons of carbon emissions annually and continue to be the single-fastest growing source of emissions. The stronger standards called for by the companies would cut 160 million metric tons of GHGs by 2030 and reduce domestic oil consumption by 750,000 barrels per day by 2035 - the equivalent of shutting down 48 coal-fired power plants.

Last year, BICEP also wrote to the agencies to encourage stronger truck standards. The final rules are expected to be finalized later this summer.

The group included BICEP members Autodesk, Dignity Health, Eileen Fisher, and General Mills, Connect the Drops signatories Sierra Nevada and Genentech, and INCR member Trillium Asset Management. The team met with 17 legislative offices and Governor Brown's staff to discuss important climate and energy issues. Talking points included support for the expansion of California's landmark AB 32 climate law through 2030 (currently being considered under legislation SB 32 [Pavley]) as well as the importance - and current success - of the state's Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Through partnership with Connect the Drops, companies also spoke in support of promising pieces of water legislation. Learn more about the Connect the Drops program here.

Last session, a group of 41 companies sent a letter in support of SB 32 in California, and applauding state legislators for taking steps to seize the opportunity presented by tacking climate change. BICEP also issued a letter to California Air Resources Board Chairman Mary Nichols expressing strong support for the re-adoption of California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), citing the standard's influence on investment in cleaner transportation fuels.

As the world's eighth-largest economy and a leader in addressing climate change, it is critical to ensure that California's climate change mitigation policies are successfully implemented and extended; the state plays a critical role in demonstrating successful policies and establishing that an economy can thrive while addressing greenhouse gas emissions. Ceres is continuing our advocacy work on both climate and water issues in the state.

On February 9, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling to pause implementation of the Clean Power Plan while the lower court reviews the legality of the regulations. The “stay” of the rule means that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may not enforce the Clean Power Plan pending the resolution of the case on the merits.  That challenge is currently before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, which will hear oral arguments in June and is expected to reach a decision in the fall.

The Clean Power Plan is the Obama administration’s signature environmental initiative, representing the most ambitious effort to control greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. The Plan sets a significant emissions reduction target of 32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030, to be achieved through a series of measures that will limit carbon emissions from power plants, while increasing the share of renewable energy and encouraging new energy efficiency actions.

As the We Mean Business coalition notes, the Clean Power Plan is the foundation of a thriving, clean American economy, and the economic benefits are clear. The White House estimates the Clean Power Plan could save consumers up to US$155 billion from 2020-2030 by providing cheaper energy. It will drive innovation, create new and better job opportunities, help grow the economy, and increase the competitiveness of American businesses in the global marketplace. These benefits led 365 companies and investors to encourage governors across the country to finalize their implementation strategies when the plan was finalized in August of last year. Major companies such as Mars Inc., Nestle, Staples, Unilever, General Mills and VF Corporation were among the signatories of the letters sent to 29 governors.

While the ultimate legal outcome is unclear at this point, what is very clear is that the pace and scale of the transition to a thriving, clean economy is now undeniable, irresistible, and inevitable. For the record:

The Clean Power Plan enjoys overwhelming public support, with close to three-quarters of all Americans supporting climate action and climate policies like the plan. In fact, 61 percent of the public supports the Clean Power Plan in the very states that are suing the EPA. With water contamination in Michigan and methane leakage in California stirring public outrage across the country, the public’s tolerance for environmental pollution is low.

The mix of power-generating sources in the United States has shifted away from coal in recent years, due to the increasing cost-effectiveness of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, the decline in natural gas prices, and the increasing stringency of regulations on conventional pollutants. While implementation of the Clean Power Plan will accelerate this trend, it will continue even if the plan is overturned.

According to The Climate Group and CDP, in 2014, half of all new power capacity was from renewable sources. Renewables now generate 22.8% of all global electricity use – and this is set to grow further still. This is in part because the cost of renewable power technologies is continuing to drop, which is strengthening the economic case for switching to renewable power. Analysis by Bloomberg New Energy Finance indicates that $8 trillion will be invested in renewable energy technologies between now and 2040. The decision to temporarily halt the CPP will not alter this pattern.

Governments across the globe are committed to climate action, demonstrated by 196 sovereign nations signing the historic Paris Agreement in December. As a signatory to the agreement, the United States will honor its commitment to holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels by rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving net zero emissions in the second half of this century. Moreover, 188 countries have developed national climate action plans with sweeping commitments to reduce emissions across all industrial sectors. The U.S. national climate action plan includes standards for heavy-duty engines and vehicles, energy efficiency standards, and economy-wide measures to reduce other greenhouse gas emissions beyond carbon dioxide. These policies are untouched by the temporary halt to the Clean Power Plan.

Business is a committed partner to climate action and ambition, with more than 2,000 global corporations joining the United Nations Lima-Paris Action Agenda, which brings state and non-state actors together to accelerate cooperative climate action. The We Mean Business campaign involves 368 companies worth almost US$8 trillion and 186 investors with assets under management in excess of US$20 trillion. Through this campaign, companies have made more than 900 commitments to reduce emissions, enhance resilience, and advocate for effective climate policies.

After many decades of failed promises and missed opportunities, global commitment to climate action is finally comprehensive and durable.  Addressing climate change is truly an international story where companies, investors, cities, and citizens all play a crucial role.  In a word, the transition to a low-carbon energy system is now unstoppable.

That’s why Ceres continues to mobilize companies and investors at the state level to make the business case for climate and clean energy legislation. Working in five key states (Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, California and Minnesota), Ceres is organizing its members to converge on state capitals to defend and advance strong renewable energy and energy efficiency policies, promote low carbon transportation, and defend EPA’s Clean Power Plan.

Working with a coalition of advocates, business groups, and policy experts, we can help companies understand the state of play and opportunities to engage with policymakers.

KEY TACTICS FOR STATE POLICY ENGAGEMENT:

• Regular briefings for member companies and investors on state legislative and regulatory developments and Clean Power Plan stakeholder engagement opportunities.
• Earned media that makes the business case for climate action such as company- or investor-authored op-eds expressing support for policy action (drafted, negotiated, and placed by Ceres on behalf of our economic messengers).
• Sign-on letters in support of specific pieces of legislation - to be sent to committee chairs, members whose support is crucial for the passage of legislation, and key state administration officials.
• Advocacy Days in state capitals meeting with key policymakers in a setting that will allow companies and investors to comfortably express support for policy action that will trigger clean energy deployment and to describe how they are reducing their own carbon footprint.
• National gatherings of state lawmakers. Through convenings at NCSL, NARUC, and NASEO meetings, business leaders and investors share their own efforts to reduce GHG emissions through clean energy investments (i.e. business case proof points) directly with state policymakers and express their support for specific policies.
• Social media that targets policymakers and influencers on social media to help shape the online conversation and provide political cover for policymakers voting on key pieces of legislation.

More information on Ceres’ state policy engagement opportunities can be found in the PDF below. If you have questions or would like to learn more on how your company can get involved, please contact Alli Gold Roberts (goldroberts@ceres.org) Manager, Policy Program.

Founded in 1986 by Mr. Allen, who co-founded Microsoft and owns the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers, Vulcan develops and manages his wide range of business and charitable projects. The Seattle-based firm has been actively involved in the climate and clean energy space for many years. Shortly before joining BICEP last year, Vulcan joined forces with environmental organizations to sue the Bureau for Land Management (BLM) to push for changes in the way it manages coal leases on public lands.

A division of the U.S. Interior Department, the BLM has been leasing the right to extract coal on federal lands to private companies since the 1920s. After various lawsuits and pressure for more structured guidance, the BLM adopted the Federal Coal Management Program in 1979 to provide for various regulations guiding the use, impact, and diligence of the coal-leasing program. This followed a 1979 review in which the BLM studied the environmental impacts of its coal program; however, despite a great increase in science and climate data since that date, the BLM has not conducted an analysis of the environmental and climate-related impacts of its program for over thirty years.

For this reason, Vulcan has taken the initiative to support litigation alongside Friends of the Earth and the Western Organization of Resource Councils aimed at directing the BLM to conduct a long-needed review of its coal-leasing program in order to properly consider its full environmental effects. By leasing land at a fraction of its market value and neglecting to account for the environmental and social impacts of coal, the government is neglecting to price coal leases at their true cost—which, in effect, subsidizes the production of coal at the expense of American taxpayers.

“The efforts of the Obama Administration and some members of Congress to tackle climate change are undermined by the government’s own role in the mining of coal on public lands,” Mr. Allen wrote in an op-ed in the Huffington Post.

Finally, in mid-January of this year, the U.S. Interior Department announced plans to launch a formal, comprehensive review of the federal coal-leasing program and to halt new coal leases on public lands until the review is complete. Scheduled to begin shortly, the review will examine just what Allen and his team at Vulcan had been demanding: it will advise potential reforms to the coal program and will evaluate how to account for the impacts relating to public health, the environment, and climate change.

Aligning US coal policy with 21st Century is right approach to stem #ClimateChange. Good sense step by @POTUS https://t.co/8atQijgtKX

— Paul Allen (@PaulGAllen) January 15, 2016

The BLM’s coal-leasing program currently accounts for 40 percent of all the coal mined in the United States. Just last week, the BLM also released standards aimed at curbing the amount of methane that is released through oil and gas drilling on federal lands.

Earlier this month, Vulcan also released a forward-looking analysis to test various policy cases for reform of the program. The hope is that the analysis helps policy makers and other stakeholders to understand how their choices regarding federal coal program can affect both the energy market and climate pollution for decades to come.

VF plans to meet its commitment through continued investment in energy efficiency and increased deployment of renewable energy. VF’s new international headquarters in Switzerland uses 100 percent renewable energy, but a large portion of the company’s primary energy currently comes from fossil fuels. By conducting annual energy efficiency audits and upgrading equipment and processes, VF has reduced absolute electricity use in its 30-plus manufacturing sites by 4.5 percent since 2009. VF plans to build upon the 85 percent of its 1,480 retail stores that use LED lighting and pledged to continue the construction and utilization of LEED-certified buildings globally.

VF Corporation successfully met its 2015 commitment to reduce absolute carbon emissions 5 percent from 2009 levels, despite growing 40 percent in the same time period. As part of the ABAC pledge, VF also vowed to further collaborate across government, business, and civil society to advocate for smarter climate policy.

“Climate change is the defining issue of our generation and its effects threaten the health of our planet and global economy,” said Letitia Webster, VF’s Senior Director of Global Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility, in a written statement. “VF is proud to join the American Business Act on Climate Pledge and further demonstrate our commitment to addressing climate change by implementing sustainable low-carbon, energy efficient solutions within our business.”

Based in North Carolina, VF Corporation is a leading global apparel, footwear, and accessories company with more than 30 brands, including The North Face, Timberland, Vans, Wrangler, and Lee. In December, VF Chairman and CEO Eric Wiseman joined a statement alongside several other apparel company CEOs demanding a “strong global deal that will accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy.”

Watch what steps VF is taking to reduce its carbon footprint and increase energy efficiency here.

As announced late last week, Gap Inc. has made a commitment to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent in its global owned and operated facilities by 2020.  Their approach will include new approaches to energy efficiency at their more than 3,000 stores, offices, and distribution facilities around the world—including plans to install LED lighting and smart thermostats in stores and to use an industry shipment program to improve fuel efficiency.

Gap Inc. achieved its 2015 greenhouse gas goal two years ahead of schedule—ending 2015 with a 38% total reduction in emissions.

In December, Gap Inc. CEO Art Peck joined the CEOs of Levi Strauss, VF Corp., Eileen Fisher, Burton Snowboards, Adidas, and H&M to call for a strong climate change agreement in Paris.

“In response to the climate negotiations in Paris and with what we’re seeing in the world, we feel this is an appropriate step for our company,” Senior Director of Sustainable Innovation, Melissa Fifield, told Buzzfeed News. “We have a large store footprint and the greenhouse gas emissions lighting those stores has a fairly sizable impact.”

Gap Inc. also announced plans to divert 80 percent of waste from landfill in its U.S. operations by 2020.

Moderated by Ceres President Mindy Lubber, panelists included Rachelle Wenger of Dignity Health, Letitia Webster of VF Corporation, Kevin Rabinovitch of Mars Incorporated, Bill Weihl of Facebook, and CalSTRS CEO and Ceres Board Member Jack Ehnes.

“We have made access to clean energy a key criterion when we site facilities,” said Facebook’s Bill Weihl. “So the choices that countries are making, the choices that states in the U.S. are making…[are] really important. That’s a signal to us in terms of where are we going to invest.”

The panel comes on the heels of the White House’s American Business Act on Climate Pledge, signed by 154 companies across the United States representing more than $4.2 trillion in annual revenue.

“This is good for business,” said Letitia Webster of VF Corp. “We need strong policy to direct our investments if we’re going to meet out 100% goal by 2025.” VF Corporation recently announced plans to transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2025.

Watch the entire panel below.

In the run-up to the 2015 Conference of the Parties (COP) in Paris, U.S. businesses made their voices heard by calling on world leaders to produce a strong global deal for the climate in order to protect the world’s economy. This September, six major U.S. banks released a joint statement calling for leadership and cooperation among governments toward a strong global climate agreement. “While we may compete in the marketplace, we are aligned on the importance of policies to address the climate challenge, ” wrote Bank of America, Citi, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo.

This fall, major consumer-brand companies also demonstrated their support through ads taken out in major newspapers such as the Financial Times and the Washington Post. Fourteen major food and beverage company CEOs released a letter calling on U.S. and global leaders to secure a sound climate agreement that can affect real change: “We are ready to meet the climate challenges that face our businesses. Please join us in meeting the climate challenges that face the world,” the CEOs wrote. Chief Executive Officers from seven global apparel companies—including VF Corp, Levi’s, and Adidas—also signed a joint letter, calling on world leaders to “reach a global agreement that provides the certainty businesses need and ambition climate science demands.”

In addition to the sector statements mentioned above, 154 companies (including 28 from the Ceres family) joined the White House American Business Act on Climate Pledge, while more than 100 major U.S. businesses across various industries joined a separate Wall Street Journal ad calling for a low-carbon USA.

These businesses know that global climate action is not only the right thing to do but is also necessary to protect our economy and to ensure a future that is thriving and healthy for generations to come. The fact that over 180 countries representing more than 95 percent of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions pledged to reduce their emissions and committed to limit global temperature rise to well under 2 degrees Celsius (with a stretch goal of 1.5 degrees) is certainly a promising sign. This strong, historic agreement sends a signal around the world that the low-carbon economy is officially arriving. Now is the time to make it a reality.

More information on Ceres’ and our partners’ activities at the COP can be found at www.ceres.org/cop21.