Because the Trump administration wages a multi-front assault on federal environmental insurance policies, Seventh Technology is stepping up its advocacy and protection of state legal guidelines that require polluters to pay for the unfavorable impacts of local weather change.
The cleansing merchandise firm, recognized for its bio-based formulations, was a outstanding supporter of Vermont’s Local weather Superfund Act, which grew to become legislation in Could 2024. Previous to the passage, the Burlington-based firm joined 60 native companies, together with Ben & Jerry’s, to help the invoice by assembly lawmakers and thru grassroots outreach designed to construct public consciousness.
Seventh Technology was additionally a part of a enterprise group that labored for greater than a yr to get related laws handed in New York in December 2024. Now, the corporate is specializing in California, the place lawmakers have revived a local weather superfund invoice that did not go final yr, whereas staying abreast of comparable payments in Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Oregon.
“A few of the most bold and simply insurance policies on local weather have been advancing on the state stage,” mentioned Kate Ogden, head of advocacy and motion constructing at Seventh Technology, a subsidiary of Unilever. “We are able to have the best impression there.”
Make coverage advocacy an integral piece of local weather technique
Ashley Orgain, chief impression officer at Seventh Technology, mentioned all companies with net-zero objectives ought to step ahead so legislators obtain a extra balanced perspective on local weather and clear vitality legal guidelines. She famous that fossil fuels corporations aiming to kill such laws are inclined to dominate the dialogue and lobbying efforts.
The patron merchandise firm has been a vocal proponent of local weather and clear vitality insurance policies because it was based in 1988, so aggressive advocacy doesn’t require particular approval from management. Guardian firm Unilever can be recognized for making its voice heard on local weather points and for reducing ties with commerce associations that don’t help its positions.
However the want for corporations to advocate for local weather laws has turn out to be extra pressing as world temperatures rise and federal management falters, Orgain mentioned. Setting emissions reductions targets isn’t sufficient.
“We all know we’re not going to be making a significant distinction by our substances choice or packaging choice alone,” she mentioned. “That won’t get us to the tempo and scale we’d like.”
Perceive the superfund agenda
Local weather superfund legal guidelines maintain companies accountable for the toll local weather change takes on communities by assessing charges associated to an organization’s greenhouse fuel emissions. New York’s legislation, for instance, requires fossil fuels corporations and heavy emitters to fund new infrastructure meant to guard the state from the consequences of local weather change.
Vermont’s legislation works in the same technique to cowl the clean-up of local weather associated disasters, akin to devastating floods that precipitated near $500 million in injury claims in 2023.
“This invoice would be certain that the most important historic polluters within the state — the businesses which have recognized for nearly 50 years that their merchandise had been destabilizing the planet we reside on — that these corporations pay their fair proportion of the prices inflicted on our state by the local weather disaster,” mentioned Seventh Technology’s Ogden at a February 2024 occasion organized to help the legislation.
The Vermont legislation was challenged as unconstitutional in December 2024 by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and faces resistance by the state’s Republican governor, who’s emboldened by Trump’s agenda. Likewise, a gaggle together with 22 states and business associations has sued to cease the New York model.
Workforce up with community-centered coverage consultants
Each Orgain and Ogden are actively concerned with Vermont coverage and politics, via relationships with the Vermont Companies for Social Duty and Vermont Public Curiosity Group. That’s vital for face-to-face and grassroots engagement.
“Constructing public help is tremendous constructive, and having an organization foyer for payments akin to these goes a great distance,” mentioned Deborah McNamara, government director of nonprofit ClimateVoice, which works with firms on coverage points. “Firms are inherently concerned with public coverage, whether or not they prefer it or not. They’re both obstructing consciously, conserving themselves on the sidelines or stepping out as leaders.”
Seventh Technology’s media finances for these types of actions is modest — a lot of its work is volunteer-driven — however when it does run advertisements it groups up with different corporations and focuses on high-profile actions or feedback instructed by organizers with lobbying experience and powerful neighborhood contacts.
“We’re in a really small state that’s main on this work, and we reply the decision once they ask us to point out up,” Ogden mentioned.
In New York, Seventh Technology grew to become concerned via NY Renews, a coalition of 380 environmental-justice and neighborhood teams. Getting companies concerned with the trouble lent NY Renews extra credibility, mentioned Stephan Edel, government director of the group.
“Companies are sometimes siloed off, however being in tight communication makes everybody’s advocacy more practical,” Edel mentioned. “The problem turns into ensuring that we’re coordinated and aligned.”
Put together a compelling offense — and protection
Seventh Technology views collective motion as essential within the combat to guard the New York and Vermont legal guidelines and to craft a unified message in help of latest laws. That’s one purpose the corporate is constructing a enterprise coalition to interact lawmakers on the brand new California laws launched in late February.
“Fossil fuels corporations have a standard narrative — pitting environmental issues in opposition to affordability,” Ogden mentioned. “It’s obligatory for different companies to combat in opposition to that message.”
In California, the burden of disasters on taxpayers — notably wildfires — will gas a firestorm of debate over SB 684 and AB 1243, dubbed the “Polluters Pay Local weather Superfund Act of 2025.” Affordability is a dialog in each statehouse, Ogden mentioned.
The payments’ sponsors level to a possible burden of $250 billion associated to the January fires in Los Angeles as justification, underscoring the “monetary injustices” of requiring California residents to pay for the injury. It additionally performs to well being issues. The laws would cost oil and fuel corporations a payment proportional to their emissions within the state since 1990.
“We all know we can’t make progress till we rein within the affect of the oil and fuel business,” Ogden mentioned. “This can be a technique to have a huge effect on the local weather with out placing you eyeball to eyeball with the present presidential administration.”
