Executives from Nike, Starbucks and other companies joined congressmen and labor leaders at Nike’s headquarters on February 16 to advocate national climate and energy policies to create new jobs, restore America’s competitiveness and provide for our economic and national security. Speakers at the event included: Sarah Severn, director of stakeholder mobilization for Nike, Inc.; Jim Hanna, director, Environmental Impact, Starbucks Coffee Company; Mark Edlen, managing principal, Gerding Edlen; Chandra Brown, president, United Streetcar; Joe Esmonde, renewable energy liaison, IBEW Local 48; Garett Brennan, executive director, Focus the Nation, and Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer.
At a news conference, the group announced a Race for American Jobs campaign to help persuade the U.S. Senate to pass climate change legislation to grow jobs similar to the one passed in the U.S. House of Representatives in June last year.
Sponsored by We Can Lead, the campaign aims to collect hundreds of business leader endorsements as it crosses the country making the case that strong climate policies are urgently needed to create jobs, promote technological innovation and boost energy independence.
Additional race stops are planned for Colorado, Ohio, New Hampshire and Washington, D.C. over the next 3 weeks.
