Assessing Trade and Business Groups’ Positions on Climate Change

The report evaluates 14 U.S. trade and business associations across three metrics: acceptance of climate science, support for climate action, and endorsement of specific policy proposals. The findings categorize these groups into three tiers: those that misrepresent science and offer limited policy support, those that accept science but offer limited support, and those that accept science and provide significant policy support. The authors argue that some associations use scientific misinformation and vague qualifiers to block meaningful climate policy, and they urge member companies to pressure their associations to adopt science-based positions.

• The majority of the 14 assessed U.S. trade and business associations have accepted climate science, though approximately one-third continue to use long-refuted misinformation to justify their opposition to climate policy.
• A small group of associations, specifically the American Wind Energy Association and the Solar Energy Industries Association, are identified as playing a constructive role by providing accurate science-based information and supporting broad policy solutions, including participating in United Nations climate negotiations.
• Certain associations, such as the American Petroleum Institute and the American Coal Council, have repeatedly misrepresented climate science in public statements and materials, which the report claims hinders evidence-based decision making.
• Some associations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, use sweeping qualifiers when claiming to support emissions reductions, which the authors argue allows them to oppose virtually any proposed climate policy.
• The report identifies a middle category of associations that accept climate science but limit their policy debates to the specific interests of their member companies, such as the Biomass Thermal Energy Council's focus on carbon-neutral biomass thermal energy.
• The authors recommend that member companies, particularly those with board seats, take active steps to steer associations toward science-based positions, including insisting on the acceptance of climate science and disclosing whether they agree with their association's policy positions.

APA

Goldman, G., & Rogerson, P. (2013). Assessing Trade and Business Groups’ Positions on Climate Change. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/trade-and-business-groups-climate-change.pdf

Chicago

Goldman, Gretchen, and Paul Rogerson. Assessing Trade and Business Groups’ Positions on Climate Change. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2013. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/trade-and-business-groups-climate-change.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Goldman |first1=Gretchen |last2=Rogerson |first2=Paul |title=Assessing Trade and Business Groups’ Positions on Climate Change |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=February 2013 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/trade-and-business-groups-climate-change.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{goldman2013assessing, author = {Goldman, Gretchen and Rogerson, Paul}, title = {{Assessing Trade and Business Groups’ Positions on Climate Change}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2013}, month = feb, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/trade-and-business-groups-climate-change.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }