In an effort to find common ground between regulations that support environmental sustainability versus business success, the Colorado Chamber of Commerce recently started the Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action Task Force. 

“There’s got to be a better way,” President and CEO Loren Furman said. “The progress between healthy status of the environment and economic growth, they’re not mutually exclusive.”

The task force seeks to not only create awareness of the myriad of new rules Colorado legislators have enacted in recent years, it wants to help regulators shape policies that could be more business friendly. 

Regular meetings begin this month. 

The chamber’s members have been asking to find a way to navigate how to be environmentally friendly, according to Furman.

New environmental regulations and legislation have left many employers trying to catch up on how to comply with the policies, which Furman said is interfering with economic growth and competitiveness.

The chamber’s goal is to establish where the business community stands in environmental sustainability and climate action, among other objectives.

Chamber officials commissioned the Keystone Policy Center to organize the task force, according to a news release. Keystone is a non-profit research organization and will support the task force in its strategy, objectives, and more. The chamber will be working with representatives from a variety of business industries to find methods to improve the environment and mitigate emissions.

“We believe collaboration is an essential part of progress, and we look forward to working with the task force to ensure Colorado remains at the forefront of environmental sustainability,” Molson Coors’ Rachel Schneider said in a press release. She’s the company’s vice president for sustainability and environmental, health and safety.

Molson Coors has a history of supporting environmental issues, according to Schneider. The 150-year-old company pioneered the use of aluminum cans for beverages when it was Adolph Coors Brewing Co.

The task force plans to be a collaboration of work between employers, leaders and regulators. By the end of the year, the task force will have a created a policy report with “potential legislative recommendations and other collective actions,” according to the release.

The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Colorado will also be a participant in the task force. Heidi Gordon, executive director, said consulting engineering firms are at the forefront of seeing the impact of climate change on infrastructure, including transportation systems and new buildings.

“As we look to build a resilient and sustainable future, collaboration across business and industry groups is essential to developing comprehensive policy solutions,” Gordon said in the release. “ACEC Colorado is committed to providing our expertise and resources to the Chamber’s task force as we work together on innovative strategies to improve our environment.”

Investors and Participants of the task force

• American Council of Engineering Companies of Colorado
• Black Hills Energy
• Boulder Economic Council
• Building Owners and Managers Association
• Chevron
• Climax Molybdenum
• Colorado Farm Bureau
• Colorado Wyoming Petroleum Marketers Association
• Davis, Graham & Stubbs LLP
• Denver South
• EVRAZ
• GCC
• Molson Coors
• Natural Soda
• Occidental Petroleum
• Tri-State Generation
• United Airlines
• Waste Management
• Xcel Energy