Apple CEO Tim Cook Urges U.S. President to Stay in Paris Climate Pact

[MacRumors]

Amid rumors suggesting U.S. President Donald Trump plans to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement, multiple tech CEOs have been urging him not to do so, reports Bloomberg.

On Tuesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook called the White House to ask the president not to abandon the agreement, which is a 195-nation pact committed to cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions and reducing global warming. Under the terms of the pact, the United States commits to reducing carbon emissions by 26 to 28 percent over the course of the next decade.

Apple CEO Tim Cook at the Executive Tech Summit at Trump Tower in December of 2016​

Trump, who said he opposes "draconian climate rules" during his presidential campaign, announced this morning that he would make his decision on the accord "over the next few days." Officials who spoke to the New York Times said a decision has not yet been made, but Trump is expected to withdraw on the grounds that the accord would harm the economy and impact job creation in areas like Appalachia and the West.

I will be announcing my decision on the Paris Accord over the next few days. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! - Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2017

A senior White House official cautioned that the specific language of the president's expected announcement was still in flux Wednesday morning. The official said the withdrawal might be accompanied by legal caveats that will shape the impact of Mr. Trump's decision.

Over the course of the last several years, Apple has become increasingly committed to reducing its environmental impact and running its business on 100 percent renewable energy. Most recently, Apple announced plans to pursue a closed-loop supply chain where its products would be built entirely from recyclable materials.

Along with Cook, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has asked Trump not to withdraw the United States from the Paris Accord. In a tweet, Musk said he's done all he can to influence Trump's decision, and in a followup tweet, Musk said he would leave the White House advisory councils he participates in should Trump choose to leave the accord.

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 - Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 31, 2017

Many other White House officials and companies are attempting to persuade Trump before he makes a final decision. In early May, CEOs from 30 companies sent an open letter pointing out the potential for negative trade implications should the U.S. exit the Paris agreement, and on Thursday, 25 major companies, including Intel, Apple, Google, Microsoft, will publish a full-page pro-accord letter in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: Apple CEO Tim Cook Urges U.S. President to Stay in Paris Climate Pact

 

[TurboPGT!]

In other news, Apple customers urge Tim Cook to focus on Apple.

 

[filmantopia]

This is an unquestionably good thing for Cook to do. The reality of climate change will affect us all.

Apple is more than the products they build-- they're a model for how organizations should function. It's not just about the bottom line... it's how they're contributing to humanity and the world at large. But the fact is that having that vision will attract people to your products, and contribute to your bottom line, because they stand behind your philosophy.

We need to think about how we solve problems as a collective, and not just for ourselves.

 

[MH01]

Stay out of politics Tim and worry about the keynote next week.

 

[im_to_hyper]

Well - this is problematic. We could see increased device costs if nations choose to pursue punishment.

 

[unobtainium]

Withdrawing from the agreement despite the settled scientific consensus is very unfortunate and will potentially have very bad consequences for future generations.

It will be one of those moments in history that we look back on and ask "What were they thinking??"

 

[slimothy]

Get out. @Potus and @TimCook

Trump needs to do what he needs to do (not stay in the pact) and Tim Cook needs to focus on next week's keynote and less on the president. Smfh.

 

[im_to_hyper]

Stay out of politics Tim and worry about the keynote next week.

The environment isn't political. We all live in it.

Apple is pursuing a way to avoid increasing costs of scarcity of natural resources by reclaiming items from eWaste/consumer discards.

Apple's costs could rise, so ultimately Tim is showing his concern for Apple as well.

 

[unobtainium]

Stay out of politics Tim and worry about the keynote next week.

He doesn't have to stay out of politics. He's a US citizen and can say whatever he wants. And since he's the head of one of the wealthiest corporations in the world, what he says is newsworthy.

 

[macduke]

Trump is expected to withdraw on the grounds that the accord would harm the economy and impact job creation in areas like Appalachia and the West.

You know what really harms the economy? When our planet is so screwed up that we no longer care about money and are just trying to survive.

 

[magicschoolbus]

All part of shipping MORE of our jobs to China, India, etc.

Lets get out and stay out. Regulations are killing this country. No surprise the large companies want to stay in - more protection for them through regulation!

MAGA!

 

[unobtainium]

All part of shipping MORE of our jobs to China, India, etc.

Lets get out and stay out. Regulations are killing this country. No surprise the large companies want to stay in - more protection for them through regulation!

MAGA!

This is a very incoherent explanation, even by the standards of Trumpsters.

 

[magicschoolbus]

This is a very incoherent explanation, even by the standards of Trumpsters.

Democratic party at its weakest point since the 30's.

Sorry, nobody is listening to you.

 

[britboyj]

So did Musk.

The US isn't the REAL problem with emissions. It could improve, sure, but the real emitters right now are developing nations who feel like G8 countries are forcing the punishment for their high polluting early development history on them. Paris was an important symbolic gesture for countries to say "This is ALL of our problem and we all share the burden and the consequences EQUALLY" that acknowledged (a little) that developing nations shouldn't have to shoulder the financial burden of low-emission industrial growth (which is more expensive) alone.

The US pulling out is a slap in the face to major growing industrial trade partners who didn't industrialize in the 1800s and 1900s like China, India, parts of South America, and Asia.

 

[IronWaffle]

He doesn't have to stay out of politics. He's a US citizen and can say whatever he wants. And since he's the head of one of the wealthiest corporations in the world, what he says is newsworthy.

If we must have a billionaire in power, I'd rather it be one who is intelligent, thoughtful, well-read, with a long history of handling complex negotiations that successfully steered a complicated multinational corporation through rough times without sinking it while keeping one eye on profit/product/internal corporate needs and the other on the world in which that corporation exists rather than a once-real estate developer, TV show host, licenser of his gold-plated name and inarticulate Twitter addict with no scope outside his own shockingly narrow and shallow field of view.

 

[whsbuss]

In other news, Apple customers urge Tim Cook to focus on Apple.

He looks so happy to be there in the photo. My god, make products that WOW us and stay the (blank) out of politics

 

[garirry]

Apple's costs could rise, so ultimately Tim is showing his concern for Apple as well.

Yeah right, because it costs them soooooo much to build their new products. And it's not like they have hundreds of billions of dollars in cash just sitting there.

 

[vipergts2207]

Typical corporate greed of Tim Cook and others, looking out only for their own self interests. Just wanting to make sure they'll still have customers who continue to live and breathe and so forth.

 

[dominiongamma]

Stay out of politics Tim and worry about the keynote next week.

Why don't you stay out of his business

 

[a.gomez]

Hey Tim, Urge him to quit also.

 

[mozumder]

In other news, Apple customers urge Tim Cook to focus on Apple.

The only people complaining about this are Republicans.

Apple has a responsibility to the world on climate. Republicans have to deal with that fact.

 

[LinusR]

Get out. @Potus and @TimCook

Trump needs to do what he needs to do (not stay in the pact) and Tim Cook needs to focus on next week's keynote and less on the president. Smfh.

Exactly this attitude left the US in the mess it is in right now. "He's got to do what he's got to do" is not a very convincing motto.
(Just for the record: Could you explain why he has to withdraw from the climate deal?)

 

[shareef777]

Stay out of politics Tim and worry about the keynote next week.

What do you do for a living? What ever it is, go do that and stay out of this. Or is the fact that he's the head of a large company mean he's entitled to less freedoms then you?

 

[sirozha]

Let's find out if Apple and Tesla are getting government subsidies to reduce their carbon footprint. If they do, why should they? If they don't, why do they care if Trump is withdrawing from the Treaty? They can continue doing what they are doing to reduce their carbon footprint whether the US is in the Treaty or outside the Treaty.

 

[shk718]

why should Tim Cook not be involved in this? He makes and uses products that impact the environment. The moronic decisions by this moronic president impact Apple.