Hilton, Marriott and Chipotle fund climate opposition despite public green goals
Major corporations, including Hilton, Marriott and Chipotle, are supporting trade groups that oppose key climate legislation in Colorado while promoting their own sustainability pledges.
Ben Elgin reports for Bloomberg.
In short:
- Chipotle and other companies publicly commit to reducing emissions but support trade groups fighting local climate rules.
- Industry groups are suing to overturn Colorado's greenhouse-gas reduction laws targeting buildings, which are major contributors to emissions.
- These contradictions between corporate climate promises and actions could undermine state and city efforts to combat climate change.
Key quote:
“A lot of companies have sort of outsourced their climate obstruction to their trade associations.”
— Timmons Roberts, professor of environment and society at Brown University
Why this matters:
Corporate commitments to cut emissions mean little if those same companies support legal actions against climate regulations. Buildings contribute significantly to U.S. emissions, so blocking these rules delays progress toward greener cities and cleaner energy.
Related: Oregon’s biggest gas company isn’t as green as it claims