美国企业对减排议案分歧严重

The Obama administration’s environmental policy is deepening divisions between big businesses on climate change, mirroring polarisation among US states over an issue that will drive more legal and political conflict next year.

奥巴马政府的环境政策加深了大企业在气候变化问题上的分歧，也折射出美国各州在这一议题上的两极化态度。气候变化问题明年将给美国带来更多法律和政治冲突。

A White House plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions from power stations has exposed a growing rift between consumer businesses that support the proposal and industrial groups that are vehemently opposed to it.

美国政府试图限制发电厂温室气体排放量的计划，暴露出消费品企业和工业企业之间日益加深的裂痕，前者支持这一计划，后者则强烈反对。

President Barack Obama is seeking to make action on climate change a central part of his legacy, but the plan from his environmental regulator is already threatened by lawsuits and Republican opponents in the US Congress.

美国总统巴拉克•奥巴马(Barack Obama)正在争取让针对气候变化问题的举措成为他的主要政治遗产，但是上述由美国国家环境保护局(EPA)提议的举措已然引发官司，国会中的共和党反对者也威胁要让提案流产。

The corporate divide emerged from 1.6m-plus comments sent to the Environmental Protection Agency by a deadline of midnight on Monday, reflecting arguments that will rage as the agency seeks to finalise its plan by June 2015.

到提案公众评议期截止日、本周一晚12点时，美国环境保护署(EPA)共收到逾160万条评论，从中可以看出企业间的分歧，也预示着环保署在促成提案于2015年6月敲定的过程中将面对激辩。

A group of more than 220 companies, including well-known US names such as Kellogg’s, Levi-Strauss, Mars, Nike and Starbucks, has signed a letter in support of Mr Obama’s plan, along with European groups including Adidas, Ikea, Nestlé and Unilever.

包括家喻户晓的家乐氏(Kellogg's)、利惠公司(Levi Strauss & Co)、玛氏(Mars)、耐克(Nike)和星巴克(Starbucks)在内的逾220家美国公司组成的团体，已经签署联名信表示支持奥巴马的这一计划，阿迪达斯(Adidas)、宜家(Ikea)、雀巢(Nestlé)和联合利华(Unilever)等欧洲公司也参与了联署。

The letter, organised by Ceres, an investor group that campaigns on environmental and social issues, says the companies agree that climate change poses “real financial risks”, and tackling it is “one of America’s greatest economic opportunities of the 21st century”.

这封信是由致力于环境和社会问题的投资者团体环境“责任经济联盟”(Ceres)组织发起。信中写到，这些公司一致认为，气候变化会带来“真正的财务风险”，而解决气候变化问题是“美国在21世纪面临的最伟大经济机会之一”。

Tim Brown, chief executive of Nestlé Waters North America, said supplies of crops and water were essential to the company’s business, and both were threatened by climate change.

雀巢北美饮用水公司(Nestlé Waters North America)首席执行官蒂姆•布朗(Tim Brown)表示，农作物和水的供应对该公司的业务至关重要，而这两种东西的供应都受到气候变化威胁。

“We see it as crucial to the sustainability of the company. We’re 148 years old, and we would like to be here for another 148 years.”

“我们认为这对公司的存续具有决定性影响。我们公司已有148年历史，我们希望再过148年我们还在。”

He added: “We feel consumers are going to be a big influence in this debate, and it’s important for them to know which side we come out on.”

他补充说：“我们认为消费者将在这次辩论中发挥很大影响力，而让他们明确知道我们站在哪一边非常重要。”

The EPA plan would cut carbon dioxide emissions from power stations by 30 per cent by 2030 from 2005 levels, primarily by reducing the US’s dependence on coal.

美国环保局的计划将主要通过减少美国对煤的依赖，使美国发电厂的碳排放总量到2030年降至2005年水平的70%。

The regulator has set emissions targets for each US state, which must decide how to achieve the cuts by switching to cleaner energy sources such as natural gas, nuclear or wind, by improving grid efficiency, or by reducing electricity consumption.

美国环保局已经为美国各州设定了减排目标，各州必须决定如何通过改用更清洁的能源（如天然气、核能和风能）、提高电网效率，或者减少电力消耗来实现减排目标。

But Mitch McConnell, who will lead a Republican Senate majority in the new Congress next year, has said one of his priorities is “to try to do whatever I can to get the [EPA] reined in”.

但即将在明年的新一届国会中担任参议院多数党领袖的共和党参议员米奇•麦康奈尔(Mitch McConnell)已表示，他的首要任务之一就是“尽一切努力将（环保局）牵制住”。

Industry and fossil fuel businesses are strongly critical of its climate change plan. A coalition of groups including the National Association of Manufacturers, the American Petroleum Institute, the American Chemistry Council and the American Iron and Steel Institute, made a joint submission that said the EPA plan would make US companies uncompetitive in world markets.

工业和化石燃料企业都强烈抨击环保局的气候变化提案。一个由美国全国制造商协会(NAM)、美国石油协会(API)、美国化学理事会(ACC)和美国钢铁协会(AISI)组成的联盟，提交了一份联合意见，称环保局的这一计划将使美国企业在世界市场上失去竞争力。