BHP to remain in the US Chamber of Commerce

Responding to BHP’s announcement that it will not terminate its membership of the US Chamber of Commerce, Brynn O’Brien, Executive Director of ACCR said:

“BHP’s decision is a clear signal to coal lobbyists who fuel the likes of the Monash forum that they can continue to on their path of global climate policy destruction and they will not face any consequences.

“BHP’s decision flies in the face of the company’s interests, and those of its shareholders, in stable global policy to reduce emissions. BHP is well aware that the US Chamber of Commerce played a key role in Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the historic Paris climate agreement, which BHP explicitly supports.

“This is a time for decisive action, and BHP’s Board have baulked. Make no mistake; the Board today have made a conscious decision to continue to fund activities which not only expose our company to grave reputational risk, but also undermine its economic interest.

“The USCC are up there with the worst of the worst; they have a track record of conducting active sabotage to any meaningful climate policy for the United States, which of course has global implications. It is absurd that BHP would continue to shell out shareholders’ money to these dinosaurs.

“As long as powerful companies like BHP continue to financially back fossil fuels lobbyists, these lobbyists will continue to jeopardise efforts to protect companies from climate risk.

“While we welcome BHP’s formal withdrawal from the World Coal Association, it is nowhere near enough to wash off the stink of the company’s support for other organisations whose activities undermine the Paris agreement.”

MEDIA CONTACT

Brynn O’Brien ACCR Executive Director +61 423 951 316

Brami Jegan Holdfast Communications +61 448 276 945

You may also be interested in this: https://medium.com/@ACCR/10-ways-the-u-s-chamber-of-commerce-opposes-measures-to-tackle-climate-change-1588378f81f1