Hundreds of thousands of California businesspeople are enthusiastic supporters of Assembly Bill 32, our state's pioneering climate and clean energy law.

They know the carbon market and other elements of the AB 32 framework are good for the economy and for the state as a whole.

But you wouldn't know that from reading The Bee lately, including news stories such as "Who will get carbon money?" Oct. 2; "State's carbon auction assailed," Sept. 21; and "Businesses urge changes in cap-and-trade market," Sept. 20).

Those stories seem only to reflect the viewpoints of those who want to maintain the status quo.

Our organizations – the Latin Business Association and the California Business Alliance for a Green Economy – are just two of the many business groups that support AB 32 and California's cap-and-trade program.

We represent tens of thousands of businesses, and we find that the leaders and employees of these companies don't like it when it's assumed the loud voices of one narrow slice of our state's huge and diverse economy speak for all businesses across the state.

We represent businesses across the state, of all shapes and sizes and from a variety of industries.

These businesses are customers of the large emitters now complaining that they are "only" getting 90 percent of their pollution allowances for free. And our members believe that requiring major polluters to pay for just 10 percent of the allowances they need is more than fair.

We need to move past the rhetoric of a few industries that want a free ride at the expense of smaller businesses. All Californians stand to lose if these forces succeed in slowing our state's transition to a clean and efficient economy.

Our business members support AB 32 because it puts an economic value on efficiency, and shifts spending from polluting goods and services to clean ones. They know AB 32 serves as a magnet for investors – it helped attract $3.5 billion in private investment last year alone. They know it is fueling innovation and growing jobs. And they know it feeds our state's fast-growing clean tech sector, while racking up efficiency savings for mainstream businesses.

That is why the hundreds of thousands of California businesspeople we represent stand up for AB 32 and the cap-and-trade program.

We know it is good for business, good for the economy, and good for the people of California.

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