For the US Chamber of Commerce, it’s business as usual in terms of climate control. They continue to act as if the Chamber is not in a crisis.
But a rogue group held a press conference at the National Press Club pretending to be the US Chamber of Commerce in order to communicate views on climate change that it thinks the Chamber should hold. That’s not just a PR stunt. It’s a sign of frustration.
I am not condoning the actions of the faux US Chamber.
But I continue to believe that the US Chamber has a crisis, and is burying its head in the sand while trying to maintain its position on climate control.
Which is to say: the US Chamber is not doing a good job communicating why it believes its position makes sense. It is not doing a good job in establishing a conversation with opponents to its views. Perhaps it thinks there’s nothing to be gained from engaging in a debate about how to address climate change.
But I believe that a lot of people are frustrated with the Chamber’s position, and are being turned off by it.
That’s why, even though the faux press conference was sparsely attended, there were so many reports that the US Chamber had changed its perspective.
The Chamber’s response to all this? To circle the wagons, and not use this as opportunity to make their case. I think it’s a mistake.