A growing number of large corporations are calling for the U.S. and other countries to take action to fight climate change even as several prominent business groups continue to resist such efforts, Scientific American reported.

A total of 155 countries are expected to sign an agreement Friday that would commit them to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The document was drafted during an international conference on climate change held in Paris last December, and the signing is expected mark the start of what will be the largest international agreement in history.

One factor that set the Paris talks apart from previous conferences was the presence of a substantial number of businesses promising to support policies to curb climate change. One such coalition—called Business Backs Low-Carbon USA—represents more than 80 companies, including large corporations like as Adidas, DuPont, Hewlett Packard and Johnson & Johnson. (The Outdoor Industry Association also is a member.)

The coalition also endorsed the Obama's administration's Clean Power Plan, which is being challenged in federal court by 24, largely Republican-controlled states and by several business groups. One of the most vigorous challenges is coming from the National Association of Manufacturers, which on one hand said manufacturers agree with the "spirit" of the Paris agreement, but on the other opposes domestic policies that would help the U.S. comply with the treaty.

"Regulation or policy that is set by government should promote a competitive marketplace for manufacturers, which is our best weapon in the fight to prevent global climate change," Ross Eisenberg, vice president of energy and resources policy at NAM, told the publication.

The American Petroleum Institute pointed to figures showing U.S. carbon emissions are at 20-year lows, which came about without "regulatory interference," the organization said. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce called the agreement targets unrealistic.

The difference in opinion on climate change policy between business groups and at least some members of the business community isn't new. Apple and Nike very publicly dropped out of the Chamber in 2009 because of the group's stance against greenhouse gas regulations. http://bit.ly/1qF5cL5

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