Apple, Facebook, Google CEOs urge support for Paris climate agreement

Mike Snider | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Trump weighing Paris climate agreement exit President Donald Trump says his plans for the Paris climate accord will be known "very soon." Trump was responding to questions from reporters about whether he plans to withdraw the U.S. from the landmark global agreement. (May 31)

Tech companies including Apple, Facebook, Google and Intel want President Trump to heed their calls and stay in the Paris climate agreement.

Two dozen companies joined those tech giants in signing a letter urging Trump to keep the U.S. in the 197-member international accord, according to letter tweeted out late Wednesday night by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff. "Dear President Trump, as some of the largest companies in the US, we strongly urge you to keep the US in the Paris Agreement," he tweeted in advance of Trump's expected announcement Thursday on whether the U.S. will remain in the accord.

Dear President Trump, as some of the largest companies in the US, we strongly urge you to keep the US in the Paris Agreement. pic.twitter.com/ztSXyYtRrm — Marc Benioff (@Benioff) June 1, 2017

The letter, also signed by Gap, Inc., Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Levi Strauss & Co., and Morgan Stanley, appeared as full page newspaper advertisements last month in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and other newspapers.

“By expanding markets for innovative clean technologies, the agreement generates jobs and economic growth. U.S. companies are well positioned to lead in these markets. Withdrawing from the agreement will limit our access to them and could expose us to retaliatory measures," said the letter signed by the companies, which combined, they say, have a market cap of more than $3.2 trillion.

Some CEOs have also personally attempted to sway the president, who reportedly will announce the U.S. will pull out of the accord at 3 p.m. ET Thursday. Apple CEO Tim Cook called the White House Tuesday, Bloomberg reported.

Other initiatives include a letter signed by 282 investors, representing more than $17 trillion in assets, supporting the accord.

3 major costs of withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement The American president came into office after promising to "cancel" the deal and after months of reconsidering has now told aides he plans to do just that. Here's a look at three major costs of withdrawal.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has threatened to leave Trump's Business Advisory Council if the U.S. withdraws from the agreement. Musk made his intentions clear on Twitter saying: "Don't know which way Paris will go, but I've done all I can to advise directly to POTUS, through others in WH & via councils, that we remain."

Musk also joined GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt, Disney CEO Bob Iger and several other CEOs in a TV commercial, created by Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, released earlier this week urging U.S. commitment to the agreement. "Stay in Paris and negotiate a better deal that creates jobs," the ad says.

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