Tim Cook, Elon Musk, Satya Nadella call on US to stay in Paris climate pact
More than 70 companies are urging the US government to stay in the Paris Agreement.
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Demonstrators in New York call for action on climate change.
Tech executives are once again reaffirming their commitment to the Paris Agreement, even as the Trump administration has begun the official process to withdraw from the climate pact. In an open letter Monday, executives from more than 70 companies -- including tech heavyweights Apple , Google, Microsoft and Tesla -- along with union leaders of the AFL-CIO urged the US to stay in the Paris Agreement.
"There has been progress, but not enough," reads the letter. "This moment calls for greater, more accelerated action than we've seen. It calls for the strong policy framework the Paris Agreement provides, one that allows the US the freedom to choose our own path to emissions reductions."
President Donald Trump has been saying the US will withdraw from the accord since 2017. Nearly 200 countries are part of the accord and have agreed to fight global warming by reducing carbon emissions. The US officially began the withdrawal process in November, and it's expected to take at least a year.
The CEOs of Salesforce, Virgin Group, HP , Adobe, IBM, Verizon and Corning also signed the letter. Apple CEO Tim Cook shared his support on Twitter, saying "humanity has never faced a greater or more urgent threat than climate change."
Humanity has never faced a greater or more urgent threat than climate change — and it’s one we must face together. Apple will continue our work to leave the planet better than we found it and to make the tools that encourage others to do the same. https://t.co/26sTnleNep
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) December 2, 2019
Several of the tech executives have previously said they're committed to honoring the Paris climate accord, even if the federal government doesn't support the agreement. Elon Musk , founder of Tesla and SpaceX , in 2017 made good on his threat to leave several of the president's advisory councils if the US exited the climate deal.
The White House didn't respond to a request for comment.
Originally published Dec. 2.
Update, Dec. 3: Adds tweet from Apple CEO Tim Cook.
