Recognizing small business leadership in combating climate change.

Whereas decades of global industrial activity has contributed to harmful carbon emissions that are a leading cause of climate change;

Whereas the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) held in Glasgow, Scotland, emphasized the need of the public sector and private industry to come together and commit to assisting small businesses to take climate action;

Whereas during COP26, private industry leaders announced their commitment by 2030 to help 1,000,000 small businesses in the United States to reduce their carbon emissions by 50 percent, aligned with the Race to Zero Pledge of the United Nations;

Whereas small businesses comprise 90 percent of the global business population, deliver 43.5 percent of the United States gross domestic product, and are critical contributors in solving the climate crisis;

Whereas there are 31,700,000 small businesses in the United States;

Whereas alternative fuel vehicle and hybrid vehicle manufacturing supports 86,912 jobs in the United States;

Whereas biomass electric power generation supports 12,039 jobs in the United States;

Whereas the ENERGY STAR program supports 729,622 jobs in the United States;

Whereas energy storage supports 83,304 jobs in the United States;

Whereas hydroelectric power generation supports 63,131 jobs in the United States;

Whereas the nuclear electric power generation supports 58,002 jobs in the United States;

Whereas the nuclear fuels industries supports 8,768 jobs in the United States;

Whereas solar electric power generation supports 316,575 jobs in the United States;

Whereas wind energy generation supports 116,817 jobs in the United States;

Whereas woody biomass fuel for energy and cellulosic biofuels support 32,442 jobs in the United States; and

Whereas addressing climate change effectively and ensuring sustainable prosperity for small businesses will require public-sector, private-sector, and cross-sector partnerships to facilitate the development and deployment of innovative solutions to combat climate change: Now, therefore be it