美國5家大企業偕同由投資人與環保團體組成的聯盟，在11月19日宣布他們將成立一個新組織，遊說政府在2009年初完成強勢的氣候與能源法案，以促進綠色能源經濟的發展並減緩全球暖化。
「創新氣候與能源政策商業聯盟」(Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy)，又稱BICEP，其創始會員有Levi’s牛仔褲(Levi Strauss & Co)，耐吉(Nike)，星巴克(Starbucks)，昇陽(Sun Microsystems)與天柏藍公司(The Timberland Company)。
BICEP會員相信氣候變遷的衝擊將會擴及整個經濟體系，這需要新的商業思維，處理氣候和能源的挑戰。
由投資人與公益團體組成，並協助BICEP成立的Ceres聯盟主席呂柏(Mindy Lubber)表示：「這些公司對2009年的國會傳達了清楚的訊息－趕緊朝著氣候變遷的方向，邁入由環保工作激起之乾淨能源與繁榮經濟的過渡階段。」
所屬BICEP聯盟的公司11月19日表示，溫室氣體的減量目標，應該定為在2020年時低於1990年水平的至少25%，到2050年時則為80%。在各類組織要求的所有目標中，這些是最嚴苛的目標。
為了完成這個目標，他們期望美國總統當選人歐巴馬(Barack Obama)即將上任的政府部門，與由民主黨主導的新國會，能夠建立一個廣及經濟面的溫室氣體總量管制與交易系統(cap-and-trade system)，將百分之百的碳汙染配額拍賣，以提升能源使用效率，並加速乾淨能源的科技發展。
BICEP的計畫還包含了：加倍能源使用效率，省油汽車，可充電式油電複合車，低碳燃料以及各種過渡導向的發展產品。藉由投資以環境為基礎的方案，這些計畫將刺激增加工作機會，尤其是對低薪的環保工作，和容易受天氣影響的族群。
他們希望讓政府採用一套國家級的再生能源投資標準，要求2020年時，20%的電力必須由再生能源提供，到了2030年時要達到30%。
接著他們將限定新燃煤發電廠的建造，把限額轉給補集與封存碳排放的工廠。他們也會創造誘因，讓碳補集技術運用在新式與舊式的發電廠，並於2030年前時逐步汰除無法補集與封存碳的燃媒電廠。
新聯盟的目標是與商界和國會部門中的關鍵夥伴直接取得合作，通過有益的能源與氣候變遷法案。
該聯盟也將在會員公司內與在國氣候行動聯盟(U.S. Climate Action Partnership, 簡稱USCAP)中的環保團體尋求合作。USCAP成立於2007年元月，旨在鼓勵政府為碳排放建立總量管制與交易計畫。USCAP於11月18日在華盛頓州舉辦的記者會表示，將為總量管制與交易立法，擬訂相關的經濟方案，並期望在歐巴馬政府上任後能夠盡速通過。
在記者會上，環境保衛基金會(Environment Defense Fund)主席卡洛普(Fred Krupp)引用了一項最近馬里蘭大學的研究，如政府繼續否認這些氣候變遷現象，將會對政府預算造成沉重的負擔，並降低所有經濟部門的成長。
相較之下，為減少碳排放而設計的總量管理與交易(cap-and-trade)計畫則可刺激經濟，卡洛普表示：「在綠色能源的供給鏈上，總量管理能夠為美國製造商立即創造出新的消費族群與新工作。試想風力發電機，以及建造時所使用的水泥和鋼鐵。這正是當下美國需要的能源與經濟復甦政策。」
Five large U.S. corporations and a coalition of investors and environmental groups today announced that they have formed a new organization to lobby for strong U.S. climate and energy legislation in early 2009 to spur a clean energy economy and reduce global warming.
The founding members of Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy, to be known as BICEP, are Levi Strauss & Co., Nike, Starbucks, Sun Microsystems and The Timberland Company.
BICEP members believe that climate change impacts will ripple across all sectors of the economy and that new business perspectives are needed to solve the climate and energy challenges facing America.
"These companies have a clear message for next year's Congress - move quickly on climate change to kick-start a transition to a prosperous clean energy economy fueled by green jobs," said Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres, the coalition of investors and public interest groups that helped to organize BICEP.
The BICEP companies said today that greenhouse gas reduction targets should be set to at least 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. Of all the target figures demanded by various groups, these are some of the strictest.
To accomplish these goals, they would like to see the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama and the new Democrat-controlled Congress establish an economy-wide greenhouse gas cap-and-trade system that auctions 100 percent of carbon pollution allowances, promotes energy efficiency and accelerates clean energy technologies.
BICEP's plan includes a redoubling of energy efficiency efforts, fuel-efficient vehicles, plug-in electric hybrids, low-carbon fuels, and transit-oriented development. They would stimulate job growth through investment in climate-based solutions, especially green-collar jobs in low-income and climate-vulnerable communities.
They would have the government adopt a national renewable portfolio standard requiring 20 percent of electricity to be generated from renewable energy sources by 2020, and 30 percent by 2030.
And they would limit construction of new coal-fired power plants to those that capture and store carbon emissions. They would create incentives for carbon capture technology on new and existing plants, and phase out existing coal-based power plants that do not capture and store carbon by 2030.
The new coalition's goal is to work directly with key allies in the business community and members of Congress to pass meaningful energy and climate change legislation.
They will likely find allies among the member companies and environmental groups in the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, USCAP, established in January 2007 to encourage goverment to establish a cap-and-trade program for carbon emissions. USCAP held a press conference in Washington Tuesday to make the economic case for cap-and-trade legislation that they would like to see written soon after the Obama administration picks up the reins of power.
At the press conference, Environmental Defense Fund President Fred Krupp cited a recent University of Maryland study showing that unchecked climate change will strain public budgets and cut growth across all sectors of the economy.
By contrast, a cap-and-trade program designed to cut carbon emissions could provide an economic stimulus, he said.
"A cap can instantly create new customers and new jobs for U.S. manufacturers in the supply chain for clean energy. Think of wind turbines and all of the cement and steel that go into them," said Krupp. "It's the energy and economic revitalization policy America needs now."
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