美國企業對減排議案分歧嚴重
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.
奧巴馬政府的環境政策加深了大企業在氣候變化問題上的分歧，也折射出美國各州在這一議題上的兩極化態度。氣候變化問題明年將給美國帶來更多法律和政治衝突。
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.
美國政府試圖限制發電廠溫室氣體排放量的計劃，暴露出消費品企業和工業企業之間日益加深的裂痕，前者支持這一計劃，後者則強烈反對。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.
美國總統巴拉克•奧巴馬(Barack Obama)正在爭取讓針對氣候變化問題的舉措成爲他的主要政治遺產，但是上述由美國國家環境保護局(EPA)提議的舉措已然引發官司，國會中的共和黨反對者也威脅要讓提案流產。
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.
到提案公衆評議期截止日、本週一晚12點時，美國環境保護署(EPA)共收到逾160萬條評論，從中可以看出企業間的分歧，也預示着環保署在促成提案於2015年6月敲定的過程中將面對激辯。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.
包括家喻戶曉的家樂氏(Kellogg's)、利惠公司(Levi Strauss & Co)、瑪氏(Mars)、耐克(Nike)和星巴克(Starbucks)在內的逾220家美國公司組成的團體，已經簽署聯名信表示支持奧巴馬的這一計劃，阿迪達斯(Adidas)、宜家(Ikea)、雀巢(Nestlé)和聯合利華(Unilever)等歐洲公司也參與了聯署。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”.
這封信是由致力於環境和社會問題的投資者團體環境“責任經濟聯盟”(Ceres)組織發起。信中寫到，這些公司一致認爲，氣候變化會帶來“真正的財務風險”，而解決氣候變化問題是“美國在21世紀面臨的最偉大經濟機會之一”。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.
雀巢北美飲用水公司(Nestlé Waters North America)首席執行官蒂姆•布朗(Tim Brown)表示，農作物和水的供應對該公司的業務至關重要，而這兩種東西的供應都受到氣候變化威脅。“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.”
“我們認爲這對公司的存續具有決定性影響。我們公司已有148年曆史，我們希望再過148年我們還在。”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.”
他補充說：“我們認爲消費者將在這次辯論中發揮很大影響力，而讓他們明確知道我們站在哪一邊非常重要。”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.
美國環保局的計劃將主要通過減少美國對煤的依賴，使美國發電廠的碳排放總量到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.
美國環保局已經爲美國各州設定了減排目標，各州必須決定如何通過改用更清潔的能源（如天然氣、核能和風能）、提高電網效率，或者減少電力消耗來實現減排目標。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”.
但即將在明年的新一屆國會中擔任參議院多數黨領袖的共和黨參議員米奇•麥康奈爾(Mitch McConnell)已表示，他的首要任務之一就是“盡一切努力將（環保局）牽制住”。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.
工業和化石燃料企業都強烈抨擊環保局的氣候變化提案。一個由美國全國製造商協會(NAM)、美國石油協會(API)、美國化學理事會(ACC)和美國鋼鐵協會(AISI)組成的聯盟，提交了一份聯合意見，稱環保局的這一計劃將使美國企業在世界市場上失去競爭力。
