A message to EU Heads of State and Government, Members of the European Parliament, and President of the European Commission
CEOs and executives from more than 80 companies urge the EU to uphold, strengthen and enforce existing environmental legislation to address the nature and climate crises together.
As leaders of businesses and financial institutions, we recognize that our dependence on a healthy environment is fundamental to the resilience of our economies and, ultimately, our long-term success.
We applaud that the European Union (EU) has long been a global leader in enacting progressive environmental legislation which balances the need to protect nature with socio-economic priorities, driving and inspiring action and ambition internationally. This leadership is essential to signal globally that the EU will continue to drive this agenda. The next few months will be critical to start the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework and deliver strong outcomes for nature, including the adoption of the EU Nature Restoration Law and the CSRD implementation standards.
In this context, we urge European policy leaders to:
Urgently adopt regulations that promote nature protection, restoration, and sustainable use of natural resources, with clear implementation roadmaps and provide the necessary support to communities to ensure a just transition.
Uphold, strengthen, and enforce existing environmental legislation to address the nature and climate crises together.
With these actions, the EU would create a level playing field for all businesses in Europe, by providing regulatory certainty and enabling conditions to foster innovation, transform business practices and business models and ensure forward-thinking companies are rewarded for their actions to halt and reverse nature loss. The EU would become a more competitive, resilient and sustainable economy.
Businesses and financial institutions depend on nature and have a vital role to play in conserving and restoring nature and transitioning to a nature-positive economy. We are committed to doing our part. But action at the scale and speed necessary can only take place if supported by ambitious environmental policies and regulations that transform our economic, fiscal, and legislative systems.
This is why more than 1, 400 companies with revenues of $5 trillion have urged and supported governments to adopt policies now to reverse nature loss in this decade.
We must not forget that nature protection and restoration is integral to climate change mitigation and adaptation; thus, the nature and climate crises must be addressed as intertwined challenges. The science is clear: ignoring one will lead to an inability to address the other.
The costs of inaction will bring much greater challenges and risks for the economy. We are already experiencing the negative effects of climate change and nature loss, and these will only grow more complex and widespread if we step on the brake of critical nature-related legislation.
At the same time, the commercial opportunities of a nature-positive economy are immense. The World Economic Forum estimates that business models that seek to reverse nature loss could offer opportunities for new products and services worth $10 trillion a year.
Now is the time to leave a historic legacy and deliver a comprehensive European Green Deal. Together, we can build a thriving, resilient economy that safeguards nature and climate, as well as creating opportunities for inclusive and sustainable growth.
We stand ready to work together with policymakers to work towards a nature-positive future and contribute to the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.
We hope we can count on you.
Jan Ernst de Groot, Chief Legal Officer & Chief Sustainability Officer, Ahold Delhaize
Eva Maria Hinkers, Europe Region Chair, Arup
Stéphane Dedeyan, CEO, CNP Assurances
Steve Foots, Group CEO, Croda International plc
Facundo Etchebehere, Senior Vice President, Sustainability Strategy & Partnerships, Danone
Leyla Ertur, Head of Sustainability, H&M Group
Magali Anderson, Chief Sustainability and Innovation Officer, Holcim
Agustin Delgado, Chief Innovation and Sustainability Officer, Iberdrola
Ian Simm, Founder & Chief Executive, Impax Asset Management
Javier Losada, Chief Sustainability Officer, INDITEX, S.A.
Jesper Brodin, CEO, Ingka Group
Jon Abrahamsson Ring, CEO, Inter IKEA Group
María Adelaida Correa Ruiz, Corporate Director of Sustainability, ISA
Ana María Gómez Mora, Sustainability Manager, ISA Intercolombia
Anne Chassagnette, Chief Sustainability Officer, Johnson Matthey
Steve Cahillane, Chairman of the Board & Chief Executive Officer, Kellogg Company
Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer, Kering
Adrien Geiger, Managing Director, L'OCCITANE en Provence
Michael Marks, Head of Investment Stewardship & Responsible Investment Integration, Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM)
Jun Furuta, Chief Sustainability Officer, Meiji Holdings Co., Ltd.
Philippe Zaouati, CEO, Mirova
Magdi Batato, EVP, Global Head of Operations, Nestlé
Ester Baiget, CEO, Novozymes
Sunny Verghese, Co-Founder, Group CEO & Executive Director, Olam Group Limited
Georgios Stassis, Chairman & CEO, Public Power Corporation S.A.
Mirella Vitale, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Communication and Public Affairs, ROCKWOOL Group
Suzanne DiBianca, Chief Impact Officer, Salesforce
Andy Howard, Global Head of Sustainable Investment, Schroders
Maxime Seche, CEO, Séché Environnement
Frederick Jeske-Schönhoven, Member of the Executive Committee SVP Group – Strategy, Communication, Sustainable Development, SUEZ
Lars Holmquist, Chief Sustainability Officer, Tetra Pak International
Jeroen Rijpkema, CEO, Triodos Bank
Alan Jope, CEO, Unilever
Fleming Voetmann, Vice President, External Relations & Sustainability, VELUX A/S
Mark van Loon, Senior Vice President Sustainability & Innovation, Wienerberger AG
Narayan P S, Global Head - Sustainability and Social Initiatives, Wipro Ltd
Ingrid Reumert, SVP Group Stakeholder Relations, Ørsted
Lloyd Chen, Chief Finance Officer, E Ink Holdings Inc.
Adrian Ward, CEO, Accounting for Nature Ltd
Stuart McLachlan, CEO, Anthesis Group
Jane Fiona Cumming, Director and co-founder, Article 13
San Lie, Director, ASN Impact Investors
Sanjay Banka, Executive Chairman, Banka BioLoo Limited
Anders Holch Povlsen, CEO, BESTSELLER
Rasmus Lildholdt Kjær, CEO, Better Energy
Rodrigo Fernández-Mellado, Co-Director, Biodiversity Node
Gian Luca Bagnara, Board Member & Project Manager, Cà Colonna srl
Eduardo Martínez, CEO, COMEI
Dominique Thillaud, CEO, Compagnie des Alpes
Joanna Sullivan, CEO, Conscience Consulting
Anna-Lena Höcker, Founder & CEO, design. create. innovate!
Peter Zens, CEO, Erlebnisbauernhof Gertrudenhof
Alessandro Leonardi, CEO, Etifor|Valuing Nature
Luigi Grosso, Founder, Euro Brand Management GmbH
Eicke Thiele, Member of Executive Board - Managing Director, EXPED AG
Michael Menz, Chief Administrative Officer, GROPYUS
Annu Huotari, CEO, Hawkhill Oy
Jo Dawson, CEO, HD Wool
Guillaume Neveux, Partner, I Care by Bearing Point
Martin Grotzke, CEO, inoio GmbH
Richard Collier, CEO, Jack Wolfskin
Danny Giovale, President, Kahtoola
Susana García Bujalance, Director, LABORATORIO DE URBANISMO Y PAISAJE S.L.
Rebekah Braswell, CEO, Land Life
Anu Nylund, CEO, Mood of Finland
Lidwin van Velden, CEO, NWB Bank
Gauthier Bas, Managing Director, Old-Continent
Wojciech Pająk, CEO, PAJAK
Carlos Martínez Bisbal, Commercial Director, Quality and Adviser. S.L
Marco Bertacca, CEO, Quorn Foods
Duncan Vink, Director, Signature Agri Investments
Raquel Seabra, Board Member, Sogrape
Stephanie Briggs, CEO, Spring PR Ltd
Rachel Delacour, CEO, SWEEP
Albert Vicent Ferrer, CEO, Söllworld
Bo Gyldenvang, CEO, Tacton
Derrick Emsley, CEO, tentree & veritree
Dave Caygill, CEO, Terra Further Ltd
Xander Meijer, Co-Founder, owner and CEO, The Farm Kitchen
Prof. Dr. Martin R. Stuchtey, Founder & CEO, The Landbanking Group
Eamonn Donlyn, CEO, The Socratics Consulting Ltd
Audrey Michaud, Founder, Tipiloti
Arsenia Corcoba Santamaria, Founder and CEO, Tombo Tribe Consulting
Antje von Dewitz, CEO, VAUDE Sport GmbH & Co. KG
Jaap Feil, CEO, Water Footprint Implementation
Isabel Arens, CEO, World for Climate GmbH