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The business case is very strong for action to address global warming.  First, caring about your customers, employees and communities are the top priorities to any successful business. Second, strong climate policy is a critical foundation for Washington businesses that seek to seize the huge global market opportunities created by the shift to cleaner energy.  Throughout the world, billions of dollars are being invested in companies that are pursuing cleaner and more efficient technologies. Third, when you have successful businesses, you have job opportunities for all income levels and the potential for any community to reap those benefits. We need to seize those opportunities and we also need skilled workers to fill the jobs at every level.

Business leaders know the value of identifying a problem, establishing a vision for a solution and then taking action.  From almost any perspective the problem has been identified - our climate is changing in large part due to global warming pollution from all sectors of our economy.  The vision is also clear - establishing Washington as a world leader in a global transition to cleaner and more efficient ways of creating and using energy and reducing pollution.  We must join the effort to work within the business community to educate and build awareness on the need to limit climate changing pollution and unleash the productivity of the business community to develop alternative energy technologies.

Some may wonder if business leaders can really get behind this effort and if it is worth the risk of straying from the status-quo.  As a member of the community, I understand that there is a moral imperative to establish a sustainable path for our economy so that our kids and grandkids will enjoy the same and greater opportunities that we have had.  I understand that the way to respond to major tectonic shifts in our economy is by embracing and leading.  For virtually every business there will be an exciting window of new market developments with new competitive challenges.  

We ask our leaders to help position us for these opportunities while securing a better future for our families, employees and companies.

Eric Michelman is the president and founder of Cascade Basic Research Corp. and a former Microsoft executive.