Nike, Outdoor Industry Association and Aspen Ski Company were among a handful of sporting goods companies and trade groups last week to cheer President Obama’s climate change speech, even as the head of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) said the president’s plan would put U.S. industry at a competitive disadvantage.


 

The three organizations were all quoted in a press release published the day of Obama’s speech by Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy (BICEP), which advocates for “meaningful energy and climate legislation that will enable a rapid transition to a low-carbon economy.” Other BICEP members include eBay, Gap Inc., Levi Strauss & Co and OIA members Clif Bar and The North Face and Timberland, which are both owned by VF Corp.

 

 

“Nike applauds President Obama’s leadership to mitigate climate change,” said Hannah Jones, VP sustainable business and innovation, Nike Inc. “We are supportive of the President’s focus on tackling this systemic challenge. Now is the time to work together on an innovative, bold framework. We look forward to reviewing the details of the President’s plans and working with the Administration, Congress, and other businesses to move forward on strategies to address climate change.”
 

OIA Vice President of Government Affairs Kirk Bailey said 6.1 million U.S. jobs depend on “safe, reliable access to outdoor recreation opportunities, which are threatened by climate change and volatile weather patterns. We applaud President Obama’s remarks on climate.”
 

DuPont, a major supplier to the sporting goods industry, issued a separate statement welcoming Obama’s leadership given that Congress is unlikely to pass greenhouse gas emission laws. “In particular, we think the President’s planned activities in the areas of efficiency, renewable energy and HFCs are constructive, and we applaud his leadership,” said Linda Fisher, the company’s vice president and chief sustainability officer.

 

 

While the American Apparel and Footwear Association, National Retail Federation, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Sports & Fitness Industry Association and Sporting Goods Manufacturing Industry did not respond to the president’s speech, it was attacked by NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons, whose board of directors includes top executives from the nation’s largest automotive, chemical, energy, power, steel and transportation companies. Timmons warned that Obama’s emphasis on renewable energy would jeopardize 12 million U.S. manufacturing jobs by driving up prices for coal, oil and natural gas.