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General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt, pictured in Calgary, Alberta, in 2014, told employees last week that GE believes climate change is real and the science is well accepted.

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This story originally appeared on the New Republic and has been republished here with permission.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order last weekthat aims to unravel former President Barack Obamas environmental legacy and may torpedo Americas promises under the Paris Agreement to help reduce global warming. In an implicit rebuke of Trump, some of the countrys richest companies issuedstatements reaffirming their commitment to fighting climate change.

Anodyne statements about climate change are a cheap and easy public-relations victory.

We believe climate change is real and the science is well accepted,General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt wrote in a blog post to his employees.Climate change is one of our most significant global challenges and strong action is critical to meeting the serious threat posed by greenhouse gas emissions, declared a coalition of tech giants.Nestl, the worlds largest food company, noted (correctly) that the impacts of global warming could threaten its profits:Our companys success ultimately depends on our ability to reliably source high-quality crops and other raw materials. General Mills said that moving away from coal and investing in clean energy would be key to unlocking new business growth potential for the US and around the world.

Prominent environmentalists rejoiced on Twitter.

To some on the left, nothing is more satisfying than hearing a bunch of billion-dollar corporations tell Trump that hes wrongand for good reason. While Trump has boasted that his executive order will help the U.S. economy, some of the economys biggest players say it makes more sense for businesses to reduce carbon emissions and promote clean energy. The White House claims its not even aware that climate change poses a threat to businesses.

But liberals should check their glee. Anodyne statements about climate change are a cheap and easy public-relations victory. None of the above corporations indicated that they would fight Trumps order; none even mentioned Trump or his executive order at all. They merely said theyd continue their own attempts to reduce carbon emissions, because its good for business. Such rhetoric isnt new. As the New York Timesnotes: Corporations, especially those with strong consumer brands, have been increasingly responsive to customer and shareholder concerns about climate change. Over the years, these businesses have signed pledge after pledge to reduce carbon emissions; some have even filed amicus briefs in court to defend Obamas Clean Power Plan.

Moreover, not all of these companies are environmental heroes in their own right. Amazon, for instance, has been widely criticized by environmental groups for avoiding transparency about its own carbon emissions. It is currently the largest U.S. company by market value to refuse to disclose its carbon footprint to the CDP, formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project. According to the Seattle Times, Amazon hasnt responded to CDPs inquiries since 2010. By contrast, Amazons biggest tech competitors are all disclosing their energy consumption levels, and doing a pretty good jobGoogle, Microsoft, and Apple all received A grades in 2015 for making strong actions to mitigate climate change. Amazon received an F.The companys fast-expanding warehouse and logistics operations, as well as its power-hungry data centers, could become growing sources of carbon emissions, the Seattle Times wrote.

Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images

Nestl is the largest bottled water company in the world. As it pontificates about the importance of environmental stewardship, it continues to fight environmental groups in court over its practice of extracting millions of gallons of water from drought-stricken regions of California.Nestlalso still employs Peter Brabeck, a climate denier, as its chairman. Climate change is an intrinsic part of the development of the world, he said in 2014. Since the world has existed we have had climate changes and we will have climate change as long as the world exists. For me the issue is more about what can we do in order to adapt to climate change and perhaps to try to gain more time.

Duke Energy, a veritable coal giant, raised some eyebrows when it vowed to continue to move forward in reducing carbon emissions despite Trumps executive order. But this is the same company thats constantly being cited for violating environmental regulations, thats been fighting tooth and nail against accusations of polluting drinking water in North Carolina, and that has made six-figure contributions to ensure that Republicans who deny climate change maintain their Senate majority.

Many of these companies are making important strides to reduce their environmental footprints.Nestlhas some frankly aggressive goals to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, as does General Electric.Amazon is taking steps to power many of its data centers with renewable energy.Google says it will reach100 percent renewable energy for its global operations this year.Apple CEO Tim Cook has openly said climate change deniers who disagree with his strategy to cut carbon emissions should disinvest from the company.

But such steps dont make these companies moral heroes. They are acting in response to consumer pressure. For a decade, pollafterpoll has shown that Americans want to shop sustainably and that theyll pay more for products that market themselves that way. Consumers also hate waste and environmental abuse. One recent poll found that two-thirds of consumers will avoid a brand they perceive to be hurting the environment. So when companies release generic, politically timely statements about how much they care about climate change, theyre doing it less out of concern for the planet than for their bottom line. The good news is that this empowers consumers to vote with their dollars. Buy American, sure. But more importantly, buy from American companies whose press releases are backed up by their practices.

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Stop Praising the Brands Knocking Trump. Corporations Still Prioritize Themselves. - Slate Magazine