25 January 2021 – Eliot Whittington, Director of the Corporate Leaders Groups, has joined 153 leaders from across the world in signing a letter urging US President Joe Biden to be the President “who will lead humanity off the cliff-edge” of the climate crisis and who will take bold climate action to build back better. Read the letter, which appeared in the New York Times on 24 January, 2021, below.
President Biden: you can be the climate president.
Mr. President,
Congratulations! Your inauguration marks a turning point in history for the United States of America and for the world. The task ahead is enormous: the need to tackle the devastating global health and economic crises, and the need to unite Americans in doing so, is urgent.
As we recover from COVID-19 and rebuild the global economy, we must also act on climate change. In fact, these are not separate missions; they are one and the same. This is the most decisive decade in human history to confront the climate crisis.
You can be remembered as the “climate president” who led humanity away from the cliff’s edge. You can transform the world’s energy systems from fossil fuels to clean energy, while also creating an abundance of jobs, reducing harmful pollution, and tackling economic, racial, and health inequality in the process.
Choosing to take bold leadership will allow us to build back better and to build forward to a new world we can create together. By rejoining the Paris Agreement on day one, you have moved the United States in the right direction. But, as you have stated, it is simply not enough, and we must “do all we possibly can.”
You’ve famously said: “When I hear the words climate change, I hear jobs.” We agree. While the climate crisis presents incredible challenges, it is also the greatest economic opportunity for innovation, job creation, new businesses, and investment in our communities. It goes hand in hand with restoring justice and building an equitable, inclusive, and just future for all.
Your commitment to build back better with clean energy jobs and tackling the legacy of environmental injustice is the consequential action that science and our future demands. We will work alongside you to realize this ambitious pursuit.
Our children and grandchildren must see this as the moment the world was saved.
In partnership,
LATRICEA ADAMS, Founder, Black Millennials for Flint
MOHAMED ADOW, Executive Director, Power Shift Africa
CRISTELA ALONZO, Writer, Producer, Activist
SEEMA ARORA, Deputy Director General, Confederation of Indian Industry
ROSANNA ARQUETTE, Actor, Activist
PETER BAKKER, President and CEO, World Business Council for Sustainable Development
AJAY BANGA, Executive Chairman, Mastercard
WILLIAM BARBER III, President, The Rural Beacon Initiative
MARC BENIOFF, CEO, Salesforce
FELIPE BENÍTEZ, Executive Director, Corazón Latino
KEN BERLIN, President and CEO, The Climate Reality Project
MITCH BERNARD, President and CEO, Natural Resources Defense Council
JEFF BEZOS, Amazon founder and CEO
MAY BOEVE, Executive Director, 350.org
EMMA HOWARD BOYD, Chair, United Kingdom Environment Agency
STEPHEN BRENNINKMEIJER, Founder, Willows Investments
CONNIE BRITTON, Actor, Producer, Activist
JESPER BRODIN, CEO, Ingka Group (IKEA)
JERRY BROWN, former Governor of California
CAROL M. BROWNER, former EPA Administrator and Board Chair, League of Conservation Voters
DOMINIQUE BROWNING, Director, Moms Clean Air Force
MICHAEL BRUNE, Executive Director, Sierra Club
DAVE BURD aka Lil Dicky, Multi-Platinum Rapper, Comedian, Co-Creator, Executive Producer, Writer, and Star, FXX’s DAVE
INDY BURKE, Carl W. Knobloch Dean, Yale School of the Environment
SHARAN BURROW, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation
DR. MELISSA BURT, Atmospheric Research Scientist at Colorado State University, Founding Member of Science Moms
PASCAL CANFIN, Chair of the Environment, Health and Food Safety Committee of the European Parliament
BOB CARR, former Premier of New South Wales, Australia; Foreign Minister of Australia
MOHAMMED CHAHIM, Member of European Parliament, Netherlands
HELEN CLARKSON, CEO, The Climate Group
DAME POLLY COURTICE, Founder Director of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)
ELIZABETH COUSENS, CEO, United Nations Foundation
ARON CRAMER, President and CEO, BSR
DAVID CRANE, CEO, Climate Real Impact Solutions
TARUN DAS, Chairman, Institute of Economic Growth
MICHELLE REGALADO DEATRICK, Chairwoman, DNC Council on the Environment and Climate Crisis
DR. RUTH DEFRIES, Professor at Columbia University in New York, Founding Member of Science Moms
ZOOEY DESCHANEL, Actor, Singer, Songwriter, Activist
LEONARDO DICAPRIO, Actor, Co-Founder of Earth Alliance
ABIGAIL DILLEN, President, Earthjustice
KRISTY DRUTMAN, “Brown Girl Green”
JENNY A. DURKAN, Mayor of Seattle
ABDUL EL-SAYED, Physician, Epidemiologist, Progressive Activist
RAHNA EPTING, Executive Director, MoveOn Civic Action
JAVIER “JAVI” LÓPEZ FERNÁNDEZ, Member of European Parliament, Spain
CHRISTIANA FIGUERES, Co-Founder of Global Optimism, former Executive Secretary of UNFCCC
DR. EMILY FISCHER, Atmospheric Chemist, Associate Professor at Colorado State University, Founding Member of Science Moms
MICHAEL FISHMAN, President, Climate Jobs National Resource Center
JANE FONDA, Founder, Fire Drill Fridays
BILL FORD, Executive Chairman, Ford Motor Company
ARMÍNIO FRAGA, former Central Bank President, Brazil
WANJIKU “WAWA” GATHERU, Climate Activist, Founder of Black Girl Environmentalist
RYAN GELLERT, CEO, Patagonia
DR. ARUNABHA GHOSH, CEO, Council on Energy, Environment and Water
JAMSHYD GODREJ, Chairman and Managing Director of Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd., Chairman of Ananta Centre
SANDRO GOZI, Member of European Parliament, Italy
MATS GRANRYD, Director General, GSMA
TEX GUNNING, CEO, LeasePlan Corporation
KATE HAMPTON, CEO, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation
DR. KATHARINE HAYHOE, Climate Scientist, Professor, Founding Member of Science Moms
CONNIE HEDEGAARD, Chair KR foundation, Former EU Commissioner
DANIEL HENDRIX, CEO, Interface Inc
MARY KAY HENRY, President, Service Employees International Union
ISAÍAS HERNÁNDEZ, Environmental Educator, Creator of QueerBrownVegan
ANDRÉ HOFFMANN, Vice-Chairman, Roche
ABIGAIL ROSS HOPPER, CEO, Solar Energy Industries Association
ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, Co-founder of The Huffington Post, CEO of Thrive Global
MO IBRAHIM, Founder of Celtel, Founder and Chair of The Mo Ibrahim Foundation
JOSÉ MIGUEL INSULZA, Former Secretary General OAS, National Senator, Chile
LISA P. JACKSON, Vice President of Environment, Policy & Social Initiatives, Apple
SCOTT JACOBS, CEO, Generate Capital Inc.
RADMILA SHEKERINSKA JANKOVSKA, Minister of Defense, Republic of North Macedonia
PHILIP JANSEN, Chief Executive, BT Group
ALEKSANDRA JERKOV, Co-founder, The Regional Academy for Democratic Development
LAURENE POWELL JOBS, President, Emerson Collective, Co-founder of Earth Alliance
AYANA ELIZABETH JOHNSON, Co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab, The All We Can Save Project
GENE KARPINSKI, President, League of Conservation Voters
RICHARD KAUFFMAN, former New York State Energy Czar and current Chair of NYSERDA
MALCOLM KENYATTA, Pennsylvania State Representative
CAIO KOCH-WESER, former Vice Minister of Finance, Germany
FRED KRUPP, President, Environmental Defense Fund
WINONA LADUKE, Executive Director, Honor the Earth
PRESIDENTE RICARDO LAGOS, Former President of Chile
PADMA LAKSHMI, TV Host, Producer, Author, UNDP Goodwill Ambassador
PASCAL LAMY, President, Paris Peace Forum
KRISTOPHER LARSEN, Mayor of Nederland, Colorado
GUILHERME LEAL, Co-Founder and Co-Chair, Natura & Co
ANNIE LEONARD, Executive Director, Greenpeace USA
ANDREW LIVERIS, B Team Leader and Founder, Liveris Leadership Academy
LORI LODES, Executive Director, Climate Power
ENRIQUE LORES, President and CEO, HP Inc.
MINDY LUBBER, President and CEO, Ceres
MARK MAGAÑA, Founding President and CEO, GreenLatinos
DR. MILDRED MCCLAIN, Executive Director and Founder, Harambee House/CFEJ
MARÍA MENDILUCE, CEO, the We Mean Business coalition
DEBRA MESSING, Actor, Activist
DAVID MILIBAND, former Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, United Kingdom
MAURICE MITCHELL, National Director, Working Families Party
HAROLD MITCHELL JR., former South Carolina State House, Founder of ReGenesis Project
HIRO MIZUNO, UN Special Envoy on Innovative Finance and Sustainable Investments
GONZALO MUÑOZ, High Level Climate Action Champion, Chile
MOHAMED NASHEED, former President of Maldives and current Speaker of Parliament
MADS NIPPER, CEO, Ørsted
COLLIN O’MARA, President and CEO, National Wildlife Federation
RAILA ODINGA, Africa Union High Representative, former Prime Minister of Kenya
HENRY PAULSON, former US Treasury Secretary
TORBEN MÖGER PEDERSEN, CEO, PensionDanmark
WILLIAM PEDUTO, Mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
CHARLOTTE PERA, CEO, ClimateWorks Foundation
PIPER PERABO, Actor, Producer, Activist
ERICH PICA, President, Friends of the Earth US
KATI PIRI, Member of European Parliament, Netherlands
JOHN PODESTA, Founder, Center for American Progress
PAUL POLMAN, former CEO, Unilever, Co-founder and Chair of IMAGINE
NATALIE PORTMAN, Actor, Activist
VARSHINI PRAKASH, Executive Director, Sunrise Movement
MANUEL PULGAR-VIDAL, Global Lead Climate and Energy, World Wildlife Fund
CORNELIA QUENNET-THIELEN, Former State Secretary, Germany
QUESTLOVE, Musician, Producer, Founder Quest Loves Food, Co-founder and Venture Partner, Rethink Food
KATHLEEN REST, Executive Director, Union of Concerned Scientists
RYANN RICHARDSON, Activist, Miss Black America
CARTER ROBERTS, President and CEO, World Wildlife Fund, US
MARY ROBINSON, former President of Ireland
JOHAN ROCKSTRÖM, Earth Scientist, Director of The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
ERIC RONDOLAT, CEO, Signify
KEVIN RUDD, former Prime Minister, Australia, President & CEO, Asia Society
MARK RUFFALO, Actor, Activist, Co-founder of The Solutions Project
DR. JOELLEN RUSSELL, Professor at the University of Arizona, Founding Member of Science Moms
M. SANJAYAN, CEO, Conservation International
JIGAR SHAH, President, Generate Capital Inc.
PEGGY SHEPARD, Executive Director and Co-founder, WeAct
STEPHANIE SHEPHERD, Co-founder, Future Earth
PAUL SIMPSON, CEO, CDP
LORD NICHOLAS STERN, IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government, and Chair of the Grantham Research Institute at LSE
TOM STEYER, Founder, NextGen America
IZABELLA TEIXEIRA, former Minister of Environment Brazil, CEBRI
LEAH THOMAS, Founder, Intersectional Environmentalist
NICK TILSEN, President and CEO, NDN Collective
HALLA TÓMASDÓTTIR, CEO, The B Team
OPAL TOMETI, Co-founder of #BlackLivesMatter, Founder/CEO of Diaspora Rising
ANA TONI, Executive Director, Institute for Climate and Society
NIGEL TOPPING, High Level Climate Action Champion, United Kingdom
LAURENCE TUBIANA, President and CEO of ECF, former Climate Change Ambassador and Special Representative for COP21
ALEXANDRIA VILLASEÑOR, Founder, Earth Uprising
GLORIA WALTON, CEO and President, The Solutions Project
MARK WATTS, Executive Director, C40 Cities
WALTON WEBSON, Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the UN, Chair of AOSIS
RANDI WEINGARTEN, President, American Federation of Teachers
KATHLEEN WELCH, Principal, Corridor Partners and Board Chair, Natural Resources Defense Council
ELIOT WHITTINGTON, Director, Corporate Leaders Groups
ANTHA WILLIAMS, Global Climate and Environment Program Lead, Bloomberg Philanthropies
JAMIE WILLIAMS, President, The Wilderness Society
GARY W. YOHE, Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies, Emeritus, Wesleyan University
