Clean energy industry shifts marketing message from saving planet to money and jobs
Saving the Earth is like this in 2024. Global clean energy leaders are now tailoring their message to emphasize the green side of green: building wealth. The idea sells better in a new world of new nationalism and tycoon leaders.
News from the U.S. renewable energy industry and the United Nations on climate change are often focused on the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for the sake of the environment and human health. To strengthen the debate, they cite record heats around the world, frequent climate disasters that have caused billions of dollars in damage, all of which have caused losses.
But President Donald Trump has taken office violently with a series of rollbacks to clean energy plans and highlighted plans to “release” oil, gas and mining. President Donald Trump has taken office violently, with profit potential The emphasis becomes obvious. In a lobbying blitz in Washington this week, solar, wind, hydropower and other clean energy interests tout their role in the “strong American energy and manufacturing economy” and have a “U.S. energy advantage” Lapel pin, this is the favorite Trump phrase.
Meanwhile, in a major policy speech in Brazil on Thursday, the top UN climate officials played $2 trillion, flowing to clean energy projects, and recalled a friend telling him that the “better angels” that attract people were the only “better angels” that attracted people. So far.
Simon Stiell, UN Executive Secretary for Climate, said that friend added: “In the great racehorse of life…’always support selfishness… what does it mean to me.”
Not that clean energy proponents have not done so before. However, especially in the United States, different landscapes make it more effective.
“This is a very win-win message to promote to conservatives,” said Bob Inglis, a Republican of South Carolina. He founded the conservative climate group Republicen.org. “If we play your card correctly and lead the world, we can create a lot of wealth and create a lot of work in the United States.”
Inglis noted that Elon Musk built the empire on electric cars, solar panels and batteries.
“When people hear “You know, you know, you know, you know it makes sense,” Ingris said.
Work has long been a big selling point for solar, wind and electric vehicles, but there is an effort not to see itself as a dirty word, but to take advantage of it. When Stiell mentioned $2 trillion in his clean energy speech, he called it “it was unstoppable because of the enormous economic opportunity it brought.”
Michael Oppenheimer, a climate scientist at Princeton University, also professor of international affairs, said climate change is a difficult problem, “If some people feel the need to cater to narrower self-interests, this can be tied to the problem-solving. Solution, then why not?”
In letters this week and more than 100 congressional meetings, industry leaders from the Solar Industry Association, Ocean Network and other organizations called for key tax benefits to be retained so that their projects can be competitive globally.
Jessie Stolark, executive director of the Carbon Capture Alliance, said the appeal was a legislator who could dismiss climate change but was open to economic principles.
“In past administrations, we obviously emphasized the common interests surrounding climate mitigation,” Storak said. “Message with the current administration and Republicans is shifting to that energy work, economic work, employment work.
“I think you want to meet the audience they are, what matters to them, what will drive the conversation forward.”
Liz Beardsley, senior policy advisor to the U.S. Green Building Council, is part of a lobbying effort, said the economy has been a core component of its message and that “doing well can also be good for businesses.”
For Lisa Sachs, director of the Colombia Center for Sustainable Investment, the messaging climate effort is strictly Earth-based and is actually unwise.
“After at least years of double growth, green and messy, at least in transitional economic cases, the honesty and coherence of the business and financial sectors is refreshing,” Sachs said. “It’s not a climate or social perspective.” Perfect strategy, because the private sector can’t completely decarbonize the economy…but under this administration, this may be the best choice for us to make progress.”
Longtime Washington spokesman Frank Maisano said President Trump may not be able to reach it, but his energy and internal secretary have the power.
“It is obviously no benefit to a catastrophic climate crisis,” said Joanna Depledge, a climate historian at the University of Cambridge in England.
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St. John reported from Detroit.
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Associated Press reporter Tammy Webber contributed to the report.
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Read AP’s climate reports at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment.
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