By Tian DuBelko
In just a few days, some of the most influential tech leaders have already spoken out against President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 Paris climate agreement.
Chief executives of Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft have all criticized the president’s decision, along with other world leaders.
The Paris Climate Agreement is a voluntary agreement that allows countries to set their own environmental goals. The primary goal of the agreement is the keep the global average temperatures from rising 2°C by the end of this century. This will help with reducing global emissions in an effort to combat climate change.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, announced that he was leaving President Trump’s special advisory councils via Twitter.
Am departing presidential councils. Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 1, 2017
Other tech giants such as IBM and Amazon reaffirmed their support for the climate deal. In a statement, IBM said that climate change is “a serious concern that warrants meaningful action on a global basis.”
Brad Smith, the CEO of Microsoft, said in a tweet that the company is still “committed to doing its part” in fighting climate change.
We’re disappointed with the decision to exit the Paris Agreement. Microsoft remains committed to doing our part to achieve its goals.
— Brad Smith (@BradSmi) June 1, 2017
A common theme was tech firms expressing their continued efforts towards a greener environment. Google CEO, Sundar Pinchai, tweeted that Google would “keep working” towards a “cleaner” and “more prosperous” future for us all.
Disappointed with today’s decision. Google will keep working hard for a cleaner, more prosperous future for all.
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) June 1, 2017
Looking towards a more efficient and renewable future is something tech firms, both big and small, have begun doing in recent years. As more and more electricity is needed to supply the tremendous energy demands, tech companies have invested in renewable resources for more efficiency and less carbon footprint on the planet.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s response to Trump pulling out of the climate deal addressed this as well.
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Quite a few tech CEOs and world leaders condemned President Trump’s decision to withdraw from climate deal, and many have come out and said that the decision would not affect their stance on climate change moving forward. Apple CEO Tim Cook, in a company email, said the decision “will have no impact on Apple’s efforts to protect the environment.”
