Over 100 small businesses called on their leaders in government to act on climate.
Mr. Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
President of the United States of America
Ms. Angela Merkel
Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany
Ms. Ursula von der Leyen
President of the European Commission
November 18, 2021
Dear President Biden, Chancellor Merkel, and President von der Leyen:
As small business owners, entrepreneurs, employers, and citizens in the United States and Europe, we urge our elected leaders to invest substantially and meaningfully in climate mitigation and adaptation.
Small and medium-sized businesses account for almost 50% of private-sector employment in the United States and 67% in the EU. We are the bedrocks of our national economies. But climate change poses significant risk to our business operations and our employees, and we need bold, systemic intervention to prevent catastrophic economic fallout.
Numerous studies have linked global warming to adverse health effects for workers, infrastructural vulnerability, and industry-wide supply chain disruptions. In fact, 40% of small businesses never reopen after being devastated by a natural disaster. The physical costs of climate change, plus those associated with the inevitable energy and transportation transition, will force many businesses like ours to close their doors. The threats posed by the climate crisis are more than just an abstraction to us—they’re tangible business liabilities whose effects have already begun to manifest.
The small business community is taking steps to help mitigate climate risk, but we can’t do it alone. A report by the Rhodium Group on pathways to achieving U.S. climate commitments highlights the necessity of a “joint action” approach; all branches and levels of government and every private-sector industry will play a critical role in lowering emissions. This philosophy applies to European nations as well, and we take seriously the standard it sets for action on behalf of our companies. But we need our governments to lead the charge by adopting a coordinated, ambitious approach to reducing global emissions.
In light of the U.N. COP26 negotiations, we the undersigned affirm our commitment to use our own spheres of influence to further the goals of COP26:
1) Securing net-zero emissions by 2050 and striving for a cap of 1.5 degrees of warming;
2) Protecting communities and ecosystems from the effects of climate change;
3) Mobilizing climate finance; and
4) Working together in a full “joint action” approach to the climate crisis.
We ask that you join us in this commitment, and we stand ready to confront this crisis together.
Sincerely,
Austria
Andre Felker, Founder & CEO
backbone.one (Vienna)
Germany
Oriante de la Brassinne, Co-founder
Benoo (Berlin)
Marie Bos, Managing Partner
M&H Advisory and Investments (Berlin)
Sonja Deborah Eisele, Coordinator
Akion, Mehr-Wert (Grenzach-Wyhlen)
Constantin Feistkorn, CEO
Spooning Cookie Dough GmbH (Berlin)
Larissa Gleich, Consultant
LG - Beratung & Organisation
Axel Heinz, Managing Director
Makerist GmbH (Berlin)
Johann Jones, Head of Sustainability
Tourlane (Berlin)
Maximilian Lehmann, CEO
Fainin (Hamburg) and Holdingbert UG
Johann Lißner, COO
Fainin (Hamburg)
Kevin Mattutat, CEO
SpaceParrots UG (Teltow)
Elisabeth Riedl, Manager
U&W GmbH (Obertshausen)
Michael Sixl, Co-founder
GerneOhne (Munich)
Iceland
Tristan Elizabeth Gribbin, CEO
Flow (Reykjavik)
United States
Joseph Alfred, CEO
Ally Power, Inc. (Hyattsville, MD)
Christina Angell, Owner
Root Cellar Foods (Bozeman, MT)
Greg Apodaca, CEO
Community 2.0 (Los Angeles, CA)
Joel Armin-Hoiland, Founder and CEO
Climate Finance Solutions (California)
David Atkins, President
The Pollux Group (Santa Barbara, CA)
Cheryl Auger, Owner
Ban SUP Refill (Pasadena, CA)
Dale Axelrod, Artist
Fine Art Tech (Petaluma, CA)
John Ballon, Co-owner
Two Enlighten Los Angeles LLC (Glendale, CA)
Will Baum, Owner
Social Work Test Prep (Los Angeles, CA)
Cecile Bendavid, President
Computer Resources Unlimited, Inc. (Los Angeles, CA)
Marissa Boisvert, Managing Partner
Accountability Works, LLC (Cold Spring, NY)
Book Soup (West Hollywood, CA)
Ben Bradley, Partner
Cypress LLP (Los Angeles, CA)
Theresa Brocia, Owner
Bleu Market & Kitchen (Mammoth Lakes, CA)
Laura Butler, Owner
Rock Paper Scissors (Durham, NC)
Tom Cage, Owner
Kittredge Sports (Mammoth Lakes, CA)
Leslie Campbell, Founder and CEO
Sustain LA (Los Angeles, CA)
Charley Casler, President
Finnland, Inc. (Los Angeles, CA)
Melissa Chalsma, Artistic Director
Independent Shakespeare Co. (Glendale, CA)
Abigail Chapin, Owner
Abigail Rose & Lily Too LLC (Nyack, NY)
Lily Chapin, Owner
Abigail Rose & Lily Too LLC (Nyack, NY)
Jill Cohen, Owner
Jill Cohen Law and Mediation (Los Angeles, CA)
Rachel Craven, Owner
Rachel Craven LLC (Glendale, CA)
Molly Crete, Program Manager
Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (Los Angeles, CA)
Micki Curtis, Owner
Lemon Frog Shop (Los Angeles, CA)
Andrea Beth Damsky, Owner
Andrea Beth Damsky L.Ac. Acupuncture & Nutritional Services (La Mesa, CA)
Laura Del Beccaro, CEO
Sora (Los Angeles, CA)
Jenna Didier, Principal
Atelier DIDIER (Los Angeles, CA)
Alexadra DySard, Environmental Manager
MOM’s Organic Market (Rockville, MD)
Sarah Eggers, Owner
Sarah Eggers Marriage and Family Therapist, Inc. (Pasadena, CA)
Michelle Fowle, Principal
Manire (Northridge, CA)
Omar Figueroa, Founder
Law Offices of Omar Figueroa (Sepastopol, CA)
Cati Glasser, Interior Designer
Cottino Design (Los Angeles, CA)
Lesley Goldberg, President & Owner
At Your Side Private Exercise (Beverly Hills, CA)
Austin Gray, Owner
Green Spaces Coworking (Denver, CO)
Megan Haley, Owner
Happy Belly LLC (Nashville, TN)
Jacob Held, Vice President
Michael Roger, Inc. (New York, NY)
Alicia Healy, Owner
The Winterblue Room (Seattle, WA)
Rebecca Helm, Owner
Rebecca Helm Healing (Los Angeles, CA)
Jennifer Hill, Founder & Principal
Rosehill Law, PLLC (Tacoma, WA)
Jim Henderson, Co-owner
Amoeba Music (Hollywood, CA)
Dory Howard, Founder
Wade + Belle (Los Angeles, CA)
Mohan Iyer, MD, Owner/Physician
Athens Retina Center, PC (Athens, GA)
Niko John, Operations Manager
Goodrich Coffee (Williamstown, MA)
Una Lee Jost, Attorney
Jost Legal (Pasadena, CA)
Madison Kime, President
The Kime Real Estate, LLC (Roanoke, VA)
Joy Lam, Vice President
Altadena Energy & Solar Inc. (Altadena, CA)
Sharky Laguana, CEO
Bandago (San Francisco, CA)
Dotty LeMieux, Owner
GreenDog Campaigns (San Anselmo, CA)
Micha M. Liberman, Owner
Mind Meld Arts (West Hills, CA)
Thomas J. Lohner, CEO
Sustainable Development Fund (Tyner, NC)
Rebecca Luna, President
Rebecca’s Herbal Apothecary & Supply (Boulder, CO)
Jesse Reyes Medina, Owner
Musician Training Solutions (Sunnyvale, CA)
Saba Harouni Lurie, President
Take Root Therapy (Los Angeles, CA)
Lainya Magaña, CEO
A&O Public Relations (Portland, OR)
Gerald Manning, Managing Partner
Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant (Boulder, CO)
Robert Means, Secretary
LoopWorks (Milpitas, CA)
James Moher, Founder and CEO
Grit ‘n Wit (Fairfield, CT)
Soraiya Nagree, Owner
La Patisserie (Autin, TX)
Angela Beth Nevin, Owner & President
AR Plumbing Systems (Menifee, CA)
Verity Noble, Co-Founder
Nude Foods Market (Boulder, CO)
Brenda Nuyen, Co-owner
Minimalist Cat LLC (Los Angeles, CA)
Jenny Silbert, Master Scavenger
Resolder (Los Angeles, CA)
Sarah Olivia, Owner
Le Château Enchanté Day Spa (Lake Forest, CA)
Kip Pastor, Founder & CEO
Pique Action (Los Angeles, CA)
Jed Pauker, Owner
Jet Power Unlimited (Venice, CA)
Chris Peck, Owner
CM Peck Inc. (Pasadena, CA)
Allison Peters, CEO
Entrellis LLC (Boulder, CO)
Leah Pressman, Ph.D.
Psychologist (Los Angeles, CA)
Julia Prochnik, Founder & President
JASynergies LLC (San Francisco, CA)
Matt Quann, Owner
Ornot Bike (San Francisco, CA)
Jeff Questad, Director
Sunfly Gallery (Austin, TX)
Jane Diane Raphael, Founder
The Jane Club (Los Angeles, CA)
Meredith Ann Reeback, Owner
Homegrown Graphics (Santa Barbara, CA)
Michael Rehl, Owner
Rehl Chiropractic (Walnut Creek, CA)
Charley Rejsek, General Manager
BookPeople (Austin, TX)
R. Grace Rodriguez, Vice President & Attorney
Chatsworth Porter Ranch Chamber of Commerce/Law Offices of R. Grace Rodriguez (Chatsworth, CA)
Chelsea Roedel, Owner
Remedy Pilates (Oakland, CA)
Glenn W. Roessler
Vigilante Coffee Company (Hyattsville, MD)
Moudi Sbeity, Owner
Laziz Kitchen (Salt Lake City, UT)
Christine Shimizu
Topper Packaging, LLC (Winnetka, IL)
Rajesh Solanki, Founder and CEO
Energies Inc. (Oakland, CA)
Christina Soontornvat, Principal Owner
Christina Soontornvat, LLC (Austin, TX)
Sandy Spears, Director
Snowy Owl Care (Bainbridge Island, WA)
Delia Swan, President
Swan Legel Search (Sepastopol, CA)
Carolyn “Lina” Tanner, Esq., Managing Member
Tanner Law & Strategy Group, Ltd. (Reno, NV)
Michael Thomas, CEO
Campfire Labs; Carbon Switch (Boulder, CO)
Kari Thorstensen, CEO
MBODY360 (New York, NY)
Igor Tregub, Founding Partner
Tregub & Associates (Berkley, CA)
Jenna Turner, Owner
Habitat Coffee (Los Angeles, CA)
Elizabeth A. Vitanza, Co-owner
Two Enlighten Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
Natalie M. Zandt, Founder
MeterLeader (Irvine, CA)