Nike Opposes US Chamber of Commerce & Leaves Board, over Climate Change

Nike just announced that it is leaving its position on the US Chamber of Commerce board of directors because of the business organization’s opposition to climate action.

Nike doesn’t beat around the bush on why it is leaving the board.

Nike says: “Nike believes US businesses must advocate for aggressive climate change legislation and that the United States needs to move rapidly into a sustainable economy to remain competitive and ensure continued economic growth.”

Nike is not the first major company to take up action against the organization. The nation’s largest utility company and other major utilities actually resigned from the Chamber of Commerce altogether recently over this issue.

Nike was especially put off by the Chamber’s recent challenges to the EPA. “As we’ve stated, we fundamentally disagree with the US Chamber of Commerce on the issue of climate change and their recent action challenging the EPA is inconsistent with our view that climate change is an issue in need of urgent action.”

The leading sports company also said that the Chamber of Commerce was not representing the diversity of opinions within the organization in its actions and recent statements. “It is important that US companies be represented by a strong and effective Chamber that reflects the interests of all its members on multiple issues. We believe that on the issue of climate change the Chamber has not represented the diversity of perspective held by the board of directors.”

Nike may leave the powerful organization altogether, but it is evaluating whether that is the best move and wants to try to continue pushing for climate action within the organization’s committee structure.

Nike continues to be a world leader on environmental issues. It urged Congress to take action on climate change in combination with other major companies (i.e. Starbucks, Timberland, and Levi Strauss) in the past. It has recently engaged in strong alternative transportation advocacy campaigns and successul efforts to stop Amazon destruction.

Related Articles:
1) Nike, Starbucks Demand Congress To Act On Climate Change
2) Nation’s Largest Utility Leaves US Chamber of Commerce — Because of Climate Change?
3) World’s Largest Leather Exporter Backs Out of Amazon
4) Nike Stops Use of Amazon Leather After Damning Greenpeace Report

5) Nike Engages in Anti-Car Competition: BEAT GASOLINE

Image Credit 1: Photon™ via flickr under a Creative Commons license
Image Credit 2: Paulo Sacramento via flickr under a Creative Commons license
Image Credit 3: joshuahoffmanphoto via flickr under a Creative Commons license
Image Credit 4: Photon™ via flickr under a Creative Commons license

About Zachary Shahan

If you couldn't guess, I spend most of my time on CleanTechnica and Planetsave. I'm the director/editor of both sites and am a little obsessed with them and the topics they cover. I'm also Publishing Services Manager at Important Media, which means that I do everything I can to support other Important Media writers, editors, and directors (as well as the network as a whole) in the good work they are engaged in. You can also find my work on Scientific American, Reuters, Change.org, most of the sites in the Important Media network, & many other places. For more, or to connect, go to: zacharyshahan.com

Comments

  1. conspiracyzach says:

    Nike and the concern for the environment pitch is pretty laughable.

  2. conspiracyzach says:
  3. Duncan says:

    WELL NIKE~IS IT ‘OUT’ or…..still hesitations ?????
    WANNA LEAVE……THEN, LEAVE & ‘WALK YR TALK’ !!!

    WHY TALK SO BIG FOR ?
    BRING BACK ALL THE JOBS TO THE USA & HELP THE MANY
    JOBLESS FOLKS ?!!!!
    THEN ONLY~U CAN MAKE A ‘BIG FUSS’ !!!!

    MIND U~U CAN BE MINDFUL ABOUT THE ‘Climate Change’ issue….BUT, DON’T BE A ‘Fanatic’ about it & get SOAK-UP IN GORE’s ‘thing’ !
    He, himself is a ‘climate change’….
    Look at his body-size !
    He is enjoying life !!!

  4. Fair Trade says:

    Nike seems to be going through a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde – on the one hand sounding like it’s doing the right thing on climate change but still supplying it’s product to Michael Vick; Nike effectively supporting dog fighting imho.
    C’mon Nike – put one good person in charge and do the right thing… constantly.

  5. Duncan says:

    RIGHT ON ‘conspiracyzach’ & ‘Fair Trade’ !!!
    SOMETIMES, I WONDER HOW HONEST THESE PEOPLE ARE ?!!
    THEY TALK & STIR-UP TO MAKE THE ORDINARY-FOLKS LIKE
    FOOLS….
    THEN~THEY ‘STAB’ US AT THE BACK !!!
    HYPOCRISY IS THE NAME-OF-THE-GAME….
    ALOT OF DISHONESTY GOING AROUND….
    ALL THESE WHILE, THEY WERE SITTING UP THERE NICELY
    WITH ALL THE REST…
    SUDDENLY~THEIR MEMORY IS SO GOOD & THEY’VE WOKEN
    UP FROM A zzzzzz !!!

  6. Paul Harper says:

    I note that Apple are the latest to jump on the “environmentally aware bandwagon” & have followed suit, flouncing out of the CoC yesterday.

    pitiful

  7. Teereorplut says:

    Hey everyone, what’s up? My name is Phil and I’m new to the forum, I hope I posted this in the right category.

    So lately I’ve been trying to put together a audio system that fits my budget (university student) that still sounds good (and can handle some party use) Right now I’m looking for some advice on selection of speakers that would give me the best bang for my buck.

    I’ll probs be using a vintage Nikko Alpha II amp and Beta II pre (but maybe a Kenwood 208 amp) My speaker choice in the under $100 have came down to a set of Technics sb cx700′s or Sansui SP-X7900′s.

    I have read some reviews on

    stereo speakers reviews
    and some say they are worth the money and some say they arent. I still can’t make decision. Any thoughts?

  8. Das Fahrzeugsentsorgungsgesetz arbeitet
    sich mit Gesetzen für Produzenten
    alsauch Eigentümer von Fahrzeugen. Das
    Altfahrzeuggesetz reguliert die Art und
    Weise wie mit dem PKW nach seiner Lebenszeit umgegangen wird, welche
    Bauteile durch Autoverwertung in den Kreislauf zurückkehren und
    welche
    Schadstoffe in welchen Mengen in einem Fahrzeug
    vorhanden sein dürfen. Autoverwerter in der Fahrzeugentsorgung sind sich
    einig, dass das
    Altfahrzeuggesetz ein Schritt in die richtige Richtung ist unsere
    Probleme zu lösen.

  9. Moldtruth says:

    Research Shows Controversial Illness is Real and Treatable

    CHARLESTON, S.C., July 27 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Policyholders of America (POA) released a consensus statement written by treating physicians and researchers in the field on the mechanism and treatment of illness found in people sickened by exposure to water-damaged buildings. This illness has been the subject of heated debate that has resulted in harsh allegations being lobbed at patients by experts hired by industry to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the illness. Today however, so-called "Sick Building Syndrome" is now unveiled to be very real; it's a chronic inflammatory illness that is easily identified with available lab testing and treatable using FDA-approved medications. The research paper is the first in the field written by physicians with experience treating the illness. Thorough and rigorous, the paper references governmental agency opinions, current published literature and an extensive review of patient data that has made this subject a political and legal hot potato obstructing patient care.

Trackbacks

  1. [...] Nike, Apple, Johnson & Johnson, and other major international companies have opposed the US Chamber of Commerce’s negative stance on climate and clean energy legislation in the past year (as well as the hundreds of millions of dollars it is spending on lobbying against such legislation). Now, electronics retail giant Best Buy is putting on its boxing gloves as well. [...]

  2. [...] Nike, Apple, Johnson & Johnson, and other major international companies have opposed the US Chamber of Commerce’s negative stance on climate and clean energy legislation in the past year (as well as the hundreds of millions of dollars it is spending on lobbying against such legislation). Now, electronics retail giant Best Buy is putting on its boxing gloves as well. [...]

  3. [...] Nike, Apple, Johnson & Johnson, and other major international companies have opposed the US Chamber of Commerce’s negative stance on climate and clean energy legislation in the past year (as well as the hundreds of millions of dollars it is spending on lobbying against such legislation). Now, electronics retail giant Best Buy is putting on its boxing gloves as well. [...]

  4. [...] Nike, Apple, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Levi Strauss, General Electric, General Motors, Shell, and other large international companies have opposed the US Chamber of Commerce, as well as a number of local chambers of commerce. [...]

Speak Your Mind

*