Following President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States would be leaving the Paris Climate Accord, dozens of CEO’s around the world pleaded Trump to reconsider. In fact, it even prompted Lloyd Blankfein, the CEO of Goldman Sachs (NYSE:$GS), to make his first tweet ever a stab at Trump’s decision.
“Today’s decision is a setback for the environment and for the U.S.’s leadership position in the world. #ParisAgreement,” said Blankfein on June 1.
This, of course, is not the first time that Blankfein, an influential Wall Street executive, has challenged Trump. After Trump issued a travel ban, Blankfein sent a voicemail to every member of the firm’s staff which stated that “this is not a policy we support.” He added, “I recognize that there is potential for disruption, and especially to some of our people and their families.” Goldman Sachs CEO also openly voiced his support for Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election.
Despite Blankfein’s outlook on the Trump administration, the CEO’s bank still has numerous connections to the current government. Gary Cohn, for instance, left Gold Sachs to become a top economic advisor at the White House. Additionally, the current Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, worked for Blankfein’s bank for 17 years.
It’s clear that Blankfein is doing everything in his power to vocalize just how wrong Trump’s decision was. In his annual letter to shareholders, he stated that Goldman “encourages our people to contribute to government service if they are fortunate enough to be asked.”
That said, Senator Elizabeth Warren is questioning the “influence” that Sachs has over the Trump administration’s economic regulations. She has suggested that the bank has drafted executive orders from Trump. However, Goldman Sachs has denied any involvement in this.
As mentioned, CEO’s worldwide are not happy with Trump’s decision to take the United States out of the Paris Agreement. Some are promising that their companies will continue to try to make the world a better place, while others are leaving their positions in advisory councils, such as Tesla’s (NASDAQ:$TSLA) CEO Elon Musk and Robert Iger, the chief executive of Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:$DIS).
Companies such as Google (NASDAQ:$GOOGL), Apple (NASDAQ:$AAPL), Nike (NYSE:$NKE), ExxonMobil (NYSE:$XOM), and Chevron (NYSE:$CVX), all pleaded Trump not to withdraw from the treaty. Apple CEO, Tim Cook, even stated that he had reached out to Trump to reconsider but it was not enough.
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