IKEA, Mars launch legal support for Obama’s climate policy
Four major companies have joined the legal battle in support of the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan
Major companies including IKEA and Mars have joined the legal battle in support of the Obama administration’s environmental policy that would cut emissions from coal-fired power plants in the US.
Software firm Adobe and insurance giant Blue Cross Blue Shield have also filed the brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., backing the Clean Power Plan.
The plan was launched in 2015 and is aimed at slashing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants by 32 per cent compared to 2005 levels by 2030.
Twenty-seven states along with a group of oil companies have launched a legal challenge in an attempt to block the plan, arguing that Obama’s administration has overstepped its authority.
In their submission to the court the four companies wrote: “(We) believe the Clean Power Plan, when fully implemented, would not cause business harm to (our) operations as large energy consumers and purchasers… Swift and full implementation of the Clean Power Plan will directly benefit.”
208 current and former members of Congress and 18 states have confirmed their support for the plan.
In February the Supreme Court ordered the plan to be delayed while the appeals court assesses the lawsuit with a decision due in June.
