From the private collection of Nicky Sundt, a Washington-based climate change science, policy and communications expert, this is a March 1996 report by The EOP Group, Inc, commissioned by the industry-funded Global Climate Coalition. Titled, “Progress Report on U.S. Industry Voluntary Actions to Curb Greenhouse Gas Emissions,” the document describes its purpose “to provide a progress report on U.S. Industry-led voluntary initiatives that are improving energy efficiency and are already placing a curb on greenhouse gas emissions.” The GCC opposed greenhouse gas regulations through direct engagement and collaboration with affiliated climate deniers from 1989 to 2002.

The report highlights a list of “industry voluntary initiatives” involving GCC members and comments that “arbitrary greenhouse gas emissions targets and timetables are not appropriate policy for a dynamic economy. Rather, the flexibility offered through voluntary programs allows industry to react to new business and competitive forces in such a way as to encourage economic growth and job creation.”

Attached to the report is a GCC mission statement and policy stance document. In regards to its position on climate change, the GCC states:

“GCC accepts the finding that there is a natural “greenhouse effect” which protects the Earth from the freezing rigors of space. GCC agrees that the amount of so-called greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere is increasing. In addition, GCC also accepts that the Earth’s climate has warmed about 0.5 degrees Centigrade since the late 19th century. It is an open question, however, what the cause of this warming has been. The GCC believes that the preponderance of the evidence indicates that most, if not all, of the observed warming is part of a natural warming trend which began approximately 400 years ago. If there is an anthropogenic component to this observed warming, the GCC believes that it must be very small and must be superimposed on a much larger natural warming trend…the GCC believes there is no convincing evidence that future increases in greenhouse gas concentrations will produce significant climatic effects. Considerable uncertainty remains within the scientific community about the fundamental questions relating to this issue” (emphasis added).

The document also includes a 1996 membership list of the GCC. See more in the fullGlobal Climate Coalition collection.