Richard Branson: Business leaders are ‘baffled’ by Trump on climate change.
Image: AP/REX/Shutterstock British billionaire Richard Branson said business leaders were left dumbfounded by President Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement.
But if there’s a silver lining, it’s that companies are now even more driven to invest in clean energy and cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Trump and his top officials have made quick work of unraveling not only the former Obama administration’s policies to fight climate change, but even longstanding scientific research programs.
Image: AP/REX/Shutterstock On June 1, Trump announced he would withdraw the U.S. from the international climate agreement, which commits countries to reducing emissions to limit global warming.
The agencies they lead are both facing billions of dollars in budget cuts and steep job losses as the administration curtails funding for climate science, renewable energy, and energy efficiency while doubling down on coal, oil, and natural gas projects.
On Wednesday, he announced a new initiative, called Run on Less, that aims to promote fuel efficiency in long-haul trucks.
Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images "If you don’t go after transport emissions, you’re going to fail" in fighting climate change, he told reporters.
Beyond backing today’s technologies, Branson also invests heavily in cutting-edge clean energy innovations.
He’s put money into Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a $1 billion fund launched by fellow billionaire Bill Gates, to support new forms of clean energy.