17 July 2024 - On 19 June 2024, Corporate Leaders Groupe Europe, partnering with We Mean Business Coalition, launched a joint report “The Green Deal and Beyond: A Business Agenda for a Sustainable, Competitive and Resilient Europe” at a high-level event in Brussels.
Taking place in the Royal Library of Belgium, the event welcomed multiple high-level speakers from various backgrounds, who discussed the future of Europe, how to move firmly on the path to sustainability, and what is needed to accelerate climate and nature positive action globally.
Speakers included:
- Dr. Soeren Buttkereit, consultant, co-author of the report
- Jakop G. Dalunde, MEP
- Sandrine Dixson-Declève, President, Club of Rome
- Adam Elman, Sustainability Lead, Google
- Martin Hojsik, MEP
- Lindsay Hooper, CEO, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)
- Viktoria Karsberg, VP Head of Corporate Identity and Group Communications, SSAB
- Natasha Lepage, Climate Youth Delegate, Luxembourg
- Riccardo Maggi, Senior Economic Advisor, DG CLIMA, European Commission
- Ralph Pfitzner, consultant, co-author of the report
- Andrew Prag, Managing Director for Policy, We Mean Business Coalition
- Teresa Ribera Rodríguez, Third Vice-President of the Government of Spain and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (video message)
- Gonzalo Saenz de Miera, CLG Europe Chair & Director of Climate Change, Iberdrola
- Kira Taylor, Moderator
- Ursula Woodburn, Director, CISL Europe & CLG Europe
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Background:
As the current terms of the European Parliament and the College of European Commissioners are soon coming to an end, and while national EU leaders are developing the strategic priorities for the next 5 years, CLG Europe believes it is essential that long-term vision and sustainability remain at the core of the European project.
The European Green Deal (EGD), established in 2019, has served as Europe's compass for greening the economy amidst new global challenges. However, the recent and sudden economic, geopolitical, and environmental crises, including Covid-19 and Russia's war on Ukraine, against the backdrop of massive investments in cleantech happening in other regions of the globe, underline the need to become more resilient in Europe, while raising the ambition to achieve competitive sustainability.
What is CLG Europe?
Corporate Leaders Group (CLG) Europe is an influential and cross-sectoral group of European businesses collaborating to accelerate economy-wide action for a climate neutral economy. CLG Europe is diverse in its membership and representative of Europe in both geography and sector. The group works closely with policymakers – particularly the Green Growth Group of EU climate and environment ministers, and supportive Members of the European Parliament through its Green Growth Partnership. CLG Europe also maintains a network of sister groups across the EU and works in partnership with some of the largest business-focused organisations in support of climate action as one of the founders of the We Mean Business coalition, for which it provides the EU policy lead.
What is WMBC?
The We Mean Business Coalition is a non-profit coalition working with the world’s most influential businesses to take action on climate change. The Coalition is a group of seven non-profit organisations: BSR, CDP, Ceres, CLG Europe, Climate Group, The B Team and WBCSD. Together, the Coalition catalyses business and policy action to halve emissions by 2030 and accelerate an inclusive transition to a net zero economy by 2050.
