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Corporate Leaders Groups

Business leadership for a climate neutral economy
 
Business Compendium

3 March 2016 – The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group contributes to the second low carbon Business Compendium five years on from the first. The Compendium brings together the ambitions and achievements of nearly 30 European businesses showing the progress they have made so far in tackling climate change and moving towards a low carbon economy.

Last night at a high-level dinner hosted by the Green Growth Platform (GGP) and attended by Environment and Energy Ministers and senior government officials from across Europe as well as representatives from leading global businesses, the Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment, Vidar Helgesen, launched the second low carbon Business Compendium supported by The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group (CLG).

"I am delighted to introduce this Compendium. The case studies presented inspire me. The leading positions, as taken by companies across disciplines and sectors make me optimistic. Through partnership between the private and public sectors we are breaking the climate stalemate."

Vidar Helgesen, Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment

This Business Compendium, compiled for the GGP by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) with the support of the Norwegian Government and the CLG is the second time such a compendium has been created. The first was commissioned by the CLG five years ago and presented case studies from 17 CLG members. The second edition includes case studies from nearly 30 companies from the CLG and beyond.

The CLG is composed of major companies including market leaders and household names that are representative of the majority of EU member states. The Compendium includes case studies which represent a broad cross-section of business sectors, including service providers, retailers and consumer goods companies, infrastructure operators, energy generators, energy producers, energy intensive industries, advanced manufacturing, and technology suppliers. The Compendium presents the positions these companies are taking across their respective disciplines and sectors to tackle climate change and how through partnerships between the private and public sector they are aligning their business with a low carbon pathway.

The Compendium demonstrates clearly how many of the CLG members believe that a predictable EU policy environment is required to give them the scope for business. Targets and regulation are not seen as the red tape they are sometimes caricatured as, but are seen by CLG business as an important part of the landscape that can help their planning and underpin their innovations.

Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Director of The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group said:

“This Compendium brings together important examples of European business leadership, which shows the effect that both bold policy ambition and impressive business achievements can have both in tackling climate change and building a new climate-proof economy. These businesses have a clear message to send to European policymakers on how to achieve a low carbon economy for Europe and this Compendium is tangible evidence of that desire.”

The CLG companies featured in the report demonstrate that pursuing a low carbon pathway makes business sense. Low carbon ambition has the potential to create competitive advantage, save money, create jobs and make businesses resilient and prepared for changing climatic and business environments. Action and examples such as these will be vital to continue providing political momentum and additional policy insights into 2016, a year of key significance at both EU and international level.

The Norwegian government has supported the development of this report to communicate these examples, which are intended to be useful to the governments, businesses and parliamentarians in the Green Growth Platform, as well as policymakers, business and investors across the EU.

Read the low carbon Business Compendium.