HARRISBURG, Pa. — Congress is expected to vote on the Biden administration’s Build Back Better agenda, which includes creating clean energy jobs to tackle the climate crisis.
Leaders of small and large businesses, in Pennsylvania and beyond, are asking representatives to vote in favor of the plan.
A letter from the American Sustainable Business Council is signed by 300 companies in support of the overall plan that includes upgrading both physical infrastructure and social programs.
Bill Wollrab, founder of the e-commerce marketplace AllPeople, signed the letter. He said fighting climate change also falls on corporations, and customers can hold them accountable.
“The consumers hold the power,” Wollrab asserted. “Customers are the lifeblood of any company, and for corporations to not listen to feedback from their customers, and if their customers are saying, ‘We want you to reduce your carbon footprint,’ those companies will eventually lose.”
Also among Pennsylvania businesses that signed the letter, were the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia and BioEconomy Partners. Some Democrats have voiced their support of the Build Back Better agenda, including Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Pa., who represent the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia regions, respectively.
Wollrab pointed out his online marketplace is working toward being 100% owned by customers and employees. It also uses carbon-neutral shipping for its products. He thinks the letter shows, despite some large corporations lobbying against Build Back Better, many businesses are concerned about the impact the changing climate will have on their livelihoods.
“So, if you’ve got numerous companies and millions of consumers that all believe that climate change is real and that it should be addressed, then you’ve got a very powerful ecosystem that can demand that our politicians listen to us rather than ignore us,” Wollrab contended.
In the last month, the effects of climate change have cost Pennsylvania more than $100 million after Tropical Storm Ida caused major flood damage.