President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week that aims to unravel former President Barack Obama’s environmental legacy and may torpedo America’s promises under the Paris Agreement to help reduce global warming. In an implicit rebuke of Trump, some of the country’s richest companies issued statements reaffirming their commitment to fighting climate change.

“We believe climate change is real and the science is well accepted,” General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt wrote in a blog post to his employees. “Climate change is one of our most significant global challenges and strong action is critical to meeting the serious threat posed by greenhouse gas emissions,” declared a coalition of tech giants. Nestlé, the world’s largest food company, noted (correctly) that the impacts of global warming could threaten its profits: “Our company’s success ultimately depends on our ability to reliably source high-quality crops and other raw materials.” General Mills said that moving away from coal and investing in clean energy would be “key to unlocking new business growth potential for the US and around the world.”

Prominent environmentalists rejoiced on Twitter.

.@POTUS’s attacks on efforts to #DefendClimate contradict what huge companies actually want. https://t.co/7mTdwpDUJZ — Moms Clean Air Force (@CleanAirMoms) March 31, 2017

Nation's biggest tech companies (and major employers) get climate change. They are not OK with Trump's Climate Destruction Plan. https://t.co/tA27xPeXT8 — David Doniger (@ddonigernrdc) March 31, 2017

To some on the left, nothing is more satisfying than hearing a bunch of billion-dollar corporations tell Trump that he’s wrong—and for good reason. While Trump has boasted that his executive order will help the U.S. economy, some of the economy’s biggest players say it makes more sense for businesses to reduce carbon emissions and promote clean energy. The White House claims it’s not even aware that climate change poses a threat to businesses.



This is literally the White House admitting it is "not familiar" with the economic impacts of climate change. Think about that for a second. pic.twitter.com/0beNTOmggE — Emily Atkin (@emorwee) March 28, 2017

But liberals should check their glee. Anodyne statements about climate change are a cheap and easy public-relations victory. None of the above corporations indicated that they would fight Trump’s order; none even mentioned Trump or his executive order at all. They merely said they’d continue their own attempts to reduce carbon emissions, because it’s good for business. Such rhetoric isn’t new. As The New York Times notes: “Corporations, especially those with strong consumer brands, have been increasingly responsive to customer and shareholder concerns about climate change.” Over the years, these businesses have signed pledge after pledge to reduce carbon emissions; some have even filed amicus briefs in court to defend Obama’s Clean Power Plan.

