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Sustainability

UNITING TO SOLVE CLIMATE CHANGE

The OBCP amplifies the business voice of the outdoor recreation industry

BY GERALDINE LINK, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC POLICY

THE OUTDOOR RECREATION INDUSTRY has a powerful voice Citizens’ Climate Lobby leaders have been pointing out for
when united. At the January Outdoor Retailer Snow Show, years, employing “doom and gloom” rhetoric promotes hope-
NSAA joined the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) and lessness which fuels inaction or “the apathy of despair,” the
Snowsports Industries America (SIA) in announcing the opposite of the reaction that we are trying to inspire. Instead,
formation of the Outdoor Business Climate Partnership the OBCP is more apt to point out some incredibly positive
(OBCP), an alliance that is providing leadership on climate trends that we are seeing like the seismic shift in the type of
advocacy and climate action across the $887 billion outdoor energy going onto the grid as wind and solar costs decline,
business sector. creating an ever-widening gap with coal and other power
While NSAA has engaged in climate advocacy for almost sources, and how our industry is playing a role in that shift.
two decades, the OBCP represents the first time that NSAA The OBCP won’t engage in campaigns like the “WTF FIS?”
has partnered with OIA and SIA on climate advocacy and campaign which directed profanities and name calling at the
action, and that is exciting. The outdoor industry is impacted FIS President—someone who has absolutely no role in making
by climate change. Seasons are shifting, weather events are climate policy—over his views on climate change. Rather, the
OBCP focuses its efforts on finding common ground with
policy makers who can enact climate change solutions. We will
We are united in our desire to be educating members of Congress on the jobs the outdoor

work with both sides of the aisle industry creates in their states and the increasing importance
and strength of the recreation economy. Simply put, we will
in supporting climate change work on depolarizing climate change in D.C. by working with
both sides of the aisle on climate solutions.
solutions and to mobilize our
Climate Change Advocacy
members to take more action Immediately after announcing its inception, the OBCP sent

as well. a letter to House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell to let them know that our businesses, our
customers and the nearly 150 million Americans who par-
more variable and unpredictable, and natural disasters from ticipate in outdoor activities each year are dependent on a
floods to wildfires are more extreme. We are united in our stable climate and have a vested interest in climate solutions.
desire to work with both sides of the aisle in supporting We also let them know that we would be visiting Capitol Hill
climate change solutions and to mobilize our members to together in 2019 to urge leadership in Congress to move our
take more action as well. country toward a clean energy economy and improve our
There is room for many voices on climate change action resiliency. In late May, the OBCP made good on this promise
and advocacy within the outdoor recreation community. As by convening in Washington, along with our members and
Kelly Pawlak noted upon the formation of OBCP, an “all other key business interests, to participate in a Ceres-sponsored
hands on deck” approach will be needed to solve an issue “fly-in” on a price on carbon.
as significant as climate change. To be clear, OBCP brings This Legislator Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD)
a business voice to the table on climate change. What this fly-in was a great educational and advocacy experience for all
means is that our advocacy will be strategic and bipartisan, who attended. Ski industry and outdoor industry attendees
our messaging pointed and strong yet respectful, and our spent a day learning about the mechanics and benefits of
approach constructive. a price on carbon as one important piece of the puzzle
The OBCP has jointly decided that focusing on climate in solving climate change. We also received press training
change solutions, rather than doom and gloom messaging, is on clean energy and carbon pricing messaging and back-
the best approach in our education and outreach efforts. As ground on other climate-related policies in play in

10 | NSAA JOURNAL | SUMMER 2019