In response to the withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, Amy Roberts, executive director at Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), in a letter stated that President Trump “has abandoned the United States’ leadership on this critical issue and has ignored the voice of individuals and businesses across the country, including many in the outdoor industry.”
She added, “With his actions, the president threatens not only the $887 billion outdoor industry and the 7.6 million American jobs it supports, but threatens the very future of our planet.”
The full press release and letter follows:
President Trump Kicks Off Summer Wildfire Season by Withdrawing From Paris Climate Agreement
By Amy Roberts Jun 1, 2017
President Trump has just announced that he is withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. The agreement, negotiated at COP21 in 2015, brings together 194 nations to acknowledge the threat climate change poses to the world and pledges collaboration to address its effects.
The outdoor industry is among the first to experience the impacts of climate change, but its effects now impact all of us. From unstable weather patterns, unpredictable seasonality and increasingly devastating wildfires and droughts in the West to a measurable rise in ocean temperatures and an increase of floods in communities near previously stable waterways, it is indisputable that the climate is changing.
By withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, President Trump has abandoned the United States’ leadership on this critical issue and has ignored the voice of individuals and businesses across the country, including many in the outdoor industry. With his actions, the president threatens not only the $887 billion outdoor industry and the 7.6 million American jobs it supports, but threatens the very future of our planet.
In the absence of leadership by the Trump administration, we call on Congress and state leaders to redouble their efforts and support policies that address climate change and work to mitigate its impacts on communities and economies across the nation. As the majority of Americans are increasingly concerned about this growing threat, now is the time to work toward developing fact-based, innovative and bipartisan solutions.
Despite President Trump’s disappointing decision, Outdoor Industry Association remains committed to fighting climate change through our work in Washington, D.C., and statehouses across the country; through our promotion of responsible and resilient supply chains; and by continuing to educate the industry on sustainable product development practices and opportunities to limit impacts on our environment.
Last week, I met with dozens of industry executives on Colorado’s Western Slope to discuss how the outdoor industry can work together to address climate change. These companies pledged to take action within their organizations and by encouraging elected officials because they recognize addressing this issue is critical.
We must work together, as individuals and businesses, toward solutions that allow for the outdoor industry to thrive, grow our national economy and bring the world together to battle this common threat.
Contact me to join the fight.
Sincerely,
Amy Roberts
