Chris Ciaccia reports for Fox News:
Despite having a seemingly cordial relationship with President Trump, Apple CEO Tim Cook reiterated one grave area of disagreement on Monday — the Paris Agreement.
Cook, along with several other tech CEOs such as Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, Tesla’s Elon Musk and Google’s Sundar Pichai, signed a statement that says these companies will continue to support the 2015 Paris Agreement to help counter the effects of climate change, but also position the U.S. for a new economic age.
Cook also tweeted about the letter:
Humanity has never faced a greater or more urgent threat than climate change — and it’s one we must face together. Apple will continue our work to leave the planet better than we found it and to make the tools that encourage others to do the same. https://t.co/26sTnleNep
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) December 2, 2019
The letter comes shortly after a group of Apple employees expressed their support for Cook’s efforts to lobby Trump on behalf of the company.
The survey, conducted for Fortune by anonymous workplace social network Blind, shows that 81.6 percent of the tech giant’s employees support Cook in his efforts to speak directly with Trump on issues that affect the company and help “shape policy in Apple’s favor.”
The two men have had a relationship seemingly since the start of Trump’s presidency, one that has appeared to have only grown over time.
MacDailyNews Note: The statement, verbatim:
Joint Labor Union and CEO Statement on the Paris Agreement
We the undersigned are a group of CEOs who employ more than 2 million people in the United States and union leaders who represent 12.5 million workers. Together, we know that driving progress on addressing climate change is what’s best for the economic health, jobs, and competitiveness of our companies and our country.
In 2017, many of us came together to rally behind the US’ participation in the Paris Agreement. We came together to say we are still in. Two years ago, the impacts of climbing global temperatures were clear. Today, with record temperatures across the country, fiercer hurricanes pummeling coasts, more destructive wildfires, droughts and flooding disrupting the economy, we have no time to waste.
Two years ago, we knew that supporting the Paris Agreement was what was needed to help keep companies competitive and thriving under the shifting expectations of Americans. We stand with the 77% of registered American voters and over 4,000 American states, cities and businesses supporting the Paris Agreement.
Today, we stand by our conviction that a commitment to the Paris Agreement requires a just transition of the workforce—one that respects labor rights and is achieved through dialogue with workers and their unions. Participation in the Paris Agreement enables us to plan for a just transition and create new decent, family-supporting jobs and economic opportunity.
Staying in the Paris Agreement will strengthen our competitiveness in global markets, positioning the United States to lead the deployment of new technologies that support the transition, provide for our workers and communities, and create jobs and companies built to last.
It also supports investment by setting clear goals which enable long-term planning. It encourages innovation to achieve emissions reductions at low cost.
There has been progress, but not enough. This moment calls for greater, more accelerated action than we’ve seen. It calls for the strong policy framework the Paris Agreement provides, one that allows the US the freedom to choose our own path to emissions reductions.
The promise of the Paris Agreement is one of a just and prosperous world. We urge the United States to join us in staying in.
Sincerely,
Stuart Appelbaum, Executive Council & Chair of International Committee, AFL-CIO
…
Tim Cook, CEO, Apple
See the other signatories here.