Monday, December 2, 2019

Branson, Musk, Others Back Paris Agreement

Sir Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, which is behind such local Southern California companies as Virgin Galactic, Virgin Hyperloop One, and Virgin Orbit, as well as Elon Musk, the CEO and founder of SpaceX and The Boring Company, have joined a group of CEOs who issued a statement on Monday backing the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement--an agreement made among countries in the United Nations to undertake the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in order to attempt to tame the growing problem of climate change--has been under attack in the United States, with the current administration having recently given notice that it wants to withdraw from the agreement as soon as possible. Branson and Musk joined such other local CEOs as Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company; and Rose Marcario, Chief Executive Officer & President, Patagonia, urging the United States to stay in the Paris Agreement. According to the statement, the group of CEOs and union leaders says that "driving progress on addressing climate change is what's best for the economic health, jobs, and competitiveness of our companies and our country," and also said that "record temperatures across the country, fiercer hurricanes pummeling coasts, more destructive wildfires, droughts and flooding disrupting the economy, we have no time to waste."

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