Collective actions

Twenty-eight companies with a total market capitalization of $1.3 trillion are stepping up to set a new level of climate ambition in response to a call-to-action campaign ahead of the UN Climate Action Summit on 23 September.

April 30 2019 – On the eve of the Future of Europe Summit, CEOs from more than 50 businesses, investors and business networks, including Unilever, IKEA and DSM, are calling on the EU to endorse a long-term decarbonisation strategy to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

"The transition to a Zero Emission Vehicles fleet for cars in the EU by 2050 Pathways and impacts: An evaluation of forecasts and backcasting the COP21 commitments." This report is designed to help policymakers understand the impacts of a rapid transition to a zero emission car (ZEV) fleet. It considers the impacts of this transitionon imported fossil fuels, GHG emissions, air quality and the overall competitiveness of EU industry.

We Mean Business is a global nonprofit coalition working with the world’s most influential businesses to take action on climate change. Together this coalition catalyzes business leadership to drive policy ambition and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy. 

Read WMB response to 2050 LTS consultation 

Major European companies called for net-zero emissions by 2050 to help transition to low-carbon economy.

Key statements:

Energy efficiency benefits European citizens; A 1.5°C temperature goal for the world; Net-Zero emissions by 2050 or sooner; The “Energy Efficiency First” principle indispensable for achieving 1.5°c goal; Energy efficiency and renewables work together to cut emissions; An end to fossil fuel financing; Energy efficiency benefits need to be assessed fairly.

Three Nordic CEOs call for carbon neutrality of European economy before 2050.

Pekka Lundmark of Fortum, Christian Rynning-Tønnesen of Statkraft and Magnus Hall of Vattenfall all represent large producers of energy in Europe, with a total combined annual production of approximately 230 TWh in 2017, of which 196 TWh was fossil-free. The Nordic power market is the third largest power market in Europe.

The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group (CLG) brings together European business leaders to accelerate progress towards a low carbon, sustainable economy.
Through exchange of ideas, experience, and a dialogue with policymakers, the CLG facilitates solutions that support a resilient and prosperous future.

The Corporate Leaders Group published a letter to Environment Ministers outlining why the EU’s leadership is essential in achieving net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. 

With this long-term view in place, the EU will inevitably need to upwardly review its interim targets for 2030 to make sure they capture the progress to date and are consistent with these goals.

The B Team is a not-for-profit initiative formed by a global group of business leaders to catalyse a better way of doing business, for the well being of people and the planet.

CEOs of companies like food giant Unilever, financial powerhouse Allianz SE and power providers Engie and EDF have sent a joint letter to EU climate Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete, urging him to ensure the European Commission’s 2050 strategy includes a net-zero emissions option.

The Leaders’ Group on Sustainability is a coalition of Ireland’s leading organisations that is striving to improve the sustainability of the Irish business sector through sharing best practice and creating new ways of doing business.

BITCI statement on behalf of Irish business. Low Carbon Pledge details here and recent public announcement that 43 companies have signed up.

The Spanish Group for Green Growth is an Association created to promote public-private collaboration and advance together in the environmental challenges that we currently have. 

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Smart Enegy Europe is the association of market players driving digital and decentralised energy solutions. A successful European energy transition requires the intelligent cooperation between consumption, distribution, transmission and generation, acting as equal partners in an integrated energy system.

Mayors call on European Council and Member States to commit to long-term climate strategy and binding, ambitious emission reduction targets.

This open letter was published ahead of the Future of Europe conference on 9 May 2019. It also calls for enhanced targets to ensure rapid and just energy transition, and an end to fossil fuel subsidies.

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By signing the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Declaration, the leaders of Copenhagen, London, Paris, Stockholm pledged to ensure all buildings in the cities, old or new, will meet net-zero carbon standards by 2050.

The Covenant of Mayors is the world's largest movement for local climate and energy actions.

Mayor of Ghent Daniel Termont, Mayor of Sevilla Juan Espadas, and Director of the North-West Croatia Energy Agency Julije Domac shared the Convenant of Mayors Board's contribution to the EU climate long-term strategy.

Energy Cities is the European Association of local authorities in energy transition.

By developing their 2050 roadmaps, Münster, San Sebastian, Grenoble, Salzburg and Manchester are designing clear pathways to transform their societies to become resilient and resource-efficient, running entirely on clean energy sources and providing social and economic wellbeing to their citizens.

EUROCITIES members are climate leaders. Many cities have plans and targets aligned to limiting temperature rise to 1.5C, and often they are more ambitious than their national governments. With 75% of Europeans living in urban areas, cities are at the core of climate action for mitigation and adaptation. 

17 cities and four partners from the European Capital Network signed a Call for Action to inspire and to call upon cities to recognize and act on their role as drivers of sustainable development. The cities also offer to help others efforts to give sustainability a boost in their own city.

From Paris, Milan, Stockholm, Barcelona, Heidelberg, Copenhagen, London, Bonn, Turku and Arendal